She Knew Too Much
by Killashandra Falta
Summary: This is my first FF for Doctor Who. It is AU with a OC. A young woman travels to Cardiff in search of a strange man. She has no idea how far she will travel. Guest reviews may be deleted upon the authors discretion.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome to my world.**

**This is a original story with the characters of Doctor Who. This story will travel all over the place, and raise a lot of questions, with some not being answered by the end. That is done on purpose, not accidentally.**

**This is the first of three "books" and I do hope you enjoy it.**

**If you review it as a guest, your review may not appear in the listing. If I have taken the time to write something you would like to read, you can take the time to log in.**

**With that said, please enjoy!**

* * *

Christmas is always such a time for surprises. Some love the snow, or the shopping, or the giving and receiving of gifts. For me, its the surprise and the adrenaline rush. I know what you are thinking. "What adrenaline rush?"

Ahh... But you see, I live the life of a traveler. An adventurer. And that is why I packed up and moved "across the pond" to England. England and it's stoic weather. Fog, rain, clouds, rain, fog, a bit of sun, a cuppa tea and the aliens.

Don't you go rolling your eyes at this. I know what I am talking about. You have the first time it happened, and it's a hoax. Then it's hackers. Then its "some film that nobody knew was being filmed". But no. It's aliens. And robots. Changing memories. Disappearing hospitals.

I had to be here.

At first though, I should be more honest and say that originally it wasn't for the adrenaline rush. I was intrigued, for certain. And couldn't wait to hear what new things were appearing on the streets. I would wake up early every morning and go online to check the BBC for their morning/afternoon reports. I even went full geeky to download what ever people recorded and threw onto the web. I have a whole book of aliens, robots, stories, drawings... and that man.

Oh the very first time I saw him, it was for 3.2 seconds on the end of some shaky cell phone footage.

I paused the image... and I sketched him down. And then made it my next mission to find out who he was. And what a journey that sent me on.

Now, before I go further, I know what you are thinking. That I must be off my gourd for making such a bold leap, packing up a few things from my life and moving half-way across the world. You might be right. It's not the first time I ever packed and ran. And, knowing my life... I haven't stopped running yet.

Ahhh, but I am getting ahead of myself.

How about I go back to that man.

That strange, fabulous, enigmatic, brave man.

3.2 seconds was all it took. I had no name, no idea where he might be, and the only picture was from about 400 yards (or metres as they say here) away, on a blurry cell phone. So, I had a little bit more then nothing. Not much, but enough to get me started.

Within 20 hours I was walking through the streets of Cardiff. Tired, hungry and road weary, but I was where my journey would begin. (Ok, where it would continue, since I had already begun it when I started packing.)

My stomach growled as I neared a cafe, so I went in and ordered a cup of soup. Soup always warms the bones and they felt so cold from the wind off the wharf. As I ate the soup, I scrolled through my pad, and googled a bit of key words. "Strange man" "Brown coat" "Aliens". That was all I had. And England. I hit enter on the pad and suddenly there were a ton of hits. Over a thousand. I started at the top, and slowly scrolled through each one of the websites. Half were basic crap. A third were porn sites. And not in my taste. But there were three that seemed to be a bit more spot on.

My soup was long gone before I finished going through the most intensive of the websites. It was a very very minor blip on the screen when I began the search, but I a small tag on the screen that of course, heightened my hacker instincts. I pulled out ye olde laptop, and began some true deciphering and got in.

Pages and pages of stories, tales, photos... A whole "family" of people that at one time or another worked at TARDIS and worked with or for a Doctor. No name given, and some pictures of them, some going back in the years. Way back. I got so involved into the site, that I was barely distracted by the growling of my stomach...

I checked my watch and blinked up at the setting sun. I don't know how I got so engrossed into the site, but I apparently have been hacking it all day long. I stretched, feeling the pain of stiff muscles and a need for the "loo". I ordered some more soup, and went to the bathroom.

I came back to my table, to see a man, sitting in my seat, reading my laptop. The hairs on the back of my neck bristled with anger.

"And what the fuck do you think you are doing?"

"Oh now that is a good question," he responded, with a American accent, no less. "I thought I should find out who was the moron who thought to hack into one of my sites and sit in it all day long."

Ok... I will give him that. That was a level one stupid hacker-of-the-day mistake.

"What do you want with the Doctor?"

"Huh?"

"The Doctor. Don't tell me you aren't looking for him, otherwise you wouldn't have been knee deep in his companions. I know you aren't one of them. I know you don't know much, and I am not one hundred percent certain you are from here."

I grinned and said, "By my accent you know I am not from here."

He looked at me with very sparkling eyes, and grinned and said, "Not England. Earth." I laughed out-loud at that, and he smiled, not a very friendly smile, but it was a very teethy smile.

"Sorry to bust your bubble. Born, raised and trained here." I sat down and spooned a bit of soup while he continued to look over my computer.

"How did you do it?" I raised a eyebrow at the question and he grinned, more friendly now. And now I could relax a touch, and notice his relative hot-ness. "I have the best lockouts on all these sites, and you knocked through the wall, walked in, sat down and had full access? How the hell did you do that? And what do you want with the Doctor?"

"That was your best? Dude... You need some upgrades." At that he cocked his head at me and raised a eyebrow. "I want to know about the "doctor" if you must know."

"Like what?"

"Like... I dunno... He..." I huffed. How do you answer a question like that when you don't even know yourself. Then the man grinned at me and stuck his hand out in greeting.

"Captain Jack Harkness. I will tell you what... You show me what you did to my system and/or fix it, as in make it better, and I will see about letting you know about the Doctor."

I looked at his out-stretched hand, his pearly white teeth, the way he had so casually exuded cockiness and leaned back in his chair and waited for me to agree.

"No." He blinked. I could see a weird shadow cross his face and realized I had just told this man something he almost never ever hears.

"I'm sorry, what?" He sat up in his chair, as if that would shake his disbelief at what he heard.

"I have been in England less then 12 hours, had two meals at this table and hacked into your "best" software. And you think you hold the cards on this conversation?" He blinked again, now I know he is in a land he has never been in before. "You know of this doctor, and you have accounts of him. Accounts I can easily access if I tried. What I did today wasn't even trying."

He sat there quietly, trying to find a card to play as I ate my soup. I had another ace up my sleeve that will occur easily in... checked the clock on the wall behind the barista... 2 minutes.

He looked at me, and turned around to the barista and waved a finger and a wink, apparently, as she blushed and started working on his coffee. One minute. He turned back around at me, and seemed more sturdy, apparently having regained some of the ground that slipped out from underneath him a few minutes before. I smiled at him as I finished my soup. His coffee was delivered, and he flirted for a few seconds and turned back at me.

"You sat here all day, having just arrived off today's flight, no doubt. Are pinching pennies with bowls of soup, cause you have very little money on you, and no place to sleep. I think I have the upper hand on this one."

"Time's up."

"Huh?"

"You sat here, quietly, regaining your position while my computer has sat in front of you counting down. You failed to enter a safe word at a appointed time, that was 40 seconds ago, and now, not only are you locked out of my computer, but also all sites connected to yours." I grinned, sipping my glass of water.

"That's not possible," he said as I could see his mind working. The gears and cogs in his head starting to turn. "I am working on it Gwen," He muttered. "No, it's not possible." He glared at me and I saw some heat enter his eyes and I relaxed into my chair. He leaned forward towards me and I could hear a growl in his throat as he said the next words very slowly, "What the hell did you do?"

"I gained the upper hand."

He bounced out of his chair and spun around and yelled at me in a tone that carried down that street. "You will unlock Torchwood NOW."


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh... Torchwood. That sounds impressive." He stood over me and huffed. He really huffed. No smoke or flames, but a real huff. "Tell me about the doctor."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Me? No one really. No past, no future, just living for the day, causing havoc where possible, fixing things that are broken, and breaking in where there are locks." He glared at me, his eyes now much darker then they had been. Amazing how eyes can do that. "Oh, and the only person you need right now. As I see it, I have something you want, you have something I want. Playing ground is even."  
I watched his jaw move as he ground his teeth thinking it over. Damn he is handsome. Shame he knows it.

"Look, Jack, can I call you that? I hate titles. I honestly hate to play games. But, in fairness, this was a automated thing. I hadn't planned on snooping through the sites all day. I didn't think one of the victims of my hack would come and spy on my computer, and not allow me access to it to shut down the lock-out."

His eyes narrowed at me, and he seemed to consider my words as he slowly sat back down and sipped from his coffee, not taking his eyes off of me.

"What do you want to know?" His teeth continued to grind.

"I would like to meet this doctor. Do you know where he is?"

"Unlock Torchwood and I will answer that question." He leaned back into his chair as he said that. He turned the laptop around so it faced me, and I entered the five passwords to unlock access into it. The site came up, and I swam through the protocols to "unlock Torchwood". A few keystrokes, and Torchwood was unlocked.

"Gwen, try it now," he said allowed, watching me carefully. "Are you sure?"

He looked at me, a rage boiling under his skin. "They can't get in. You will get nothing from me-"

"They can get in."

"She's there and can NOT get in, dammit!"

"You said to unlock Torchwood. You were not specific on what Torchwood you wanted unlocked."

"Are you fucking kidding me? What the fuck did you unlock?"

"Your pseudo website," I said, with a slight smile. "Your turn."

This time, he smiled back at me with a devilish grin. "You asked if I knew where the Doctor was. The answer is, no," His grin broadened.

I narrowed my eyes at his words, and could feel one of my eyebrows raise a bit. "Catching on, are we?"

"It's your game. Just playing by your rules. This time, unlock the access to the Torchwood facility, not anything on the web."

I glared at him a half a second more, and then smiled. I went through another series of protocols, and unlocked another piece. I nodded at Jack and he said to Gwen to try again. He nodded at me after a minute, and smiled.

"This is blackmail, you know?"

"Is it now? I consider it more along the lines of free trade."

"Your turn." He smiled as I thought of the next question.

Finally I had my next step. "I want his phone number, which I know you have."

He laughed out loud at that, his grin shining white from ear to ear. "Even if I gave it to you, it won't be of any use to you. He never answers his phone... What the hell? I thought you unlocked the facility!"

"One lock, one question. Not my fault you have three locks on the main access. Be glad I didn't unlock one of the sub-entrances."

In all fairness, I should state, that my hack did not lock every thing. No... Now that I have answers riding on the line, I am locking stuff as I go. He hasn't figured that out yet. He may not ever. That isn't my issue.

"Un. Lock. Torchwood." I think someone has come to the end of his patience allowance for the day. I look at this seething man and push my reading glasses up further on my nose.

"The phone number."

He growled as he reached into his blue duster and grabbed a pen, and as I saw his hand come back out of the jacket, I saw a glint of metal hanging at his side. Crap. Figures.

"I want you to know," he said, firmly, but quietly. "When we are done here, if I don't kill you, you may end up at Torchwood for some... questioning."

"Is that a threat?" A angry, good looking man, inches away from me, carrying a gun and threatening me over what I did to his lousy security. Perfect.

"More like a... promise," He said as he handed me the scrap with the phone number. "I am only ever giving the number to the doctor to you once. You lose it, he changes it, don't come back to me. Now, give me full access to Torchwood."

"No." At that, he jumped up from his seat drew out his gun and stood over me, pointing the bad end of the barrel at my head. I heard the barista drop something at the counter and muffled a scream. If she is brave and calls the cops, we have 8 minutes. Maybe.

"We did our deal, we are done."

"No, the deal is a lock for a question. You still have eight lock-outs left."

"What the... what the hell did you lock? Eight? from where?"

"Put the gun away, sit your ass down, drink your coffee, and calm the fuck down."

"Ja-Jack?" The barista huddled behind her counter, eyes huge with fear.

Jack relaxed minutely, and slowly put his gun back in it's holster. "It's okay, Diane. Sorry about that. How about another coffee?" He turned and looked at her, flashed his smile and sat down. He turned back around to face me, the smile still on his lips, but behind that writhed a barely contained demon.  
"I don't know who you are, how you did what you did, but I do know that, from this moment on your life is not going to be easy, or long."

We stared at each other in silence. Diane came by, quietly, and with a shaky hand, set down his fresh cup of coffee. Neither of us moved, nor did our eyes leave each other's stare. The cup rattled on the saucer and I wished she would let the damn cup go and leave us. His eyes were black and we sat at a impasse, and that damn cup still rattled.

Suddenly, his eyes opened wider, and he grinned. A full grin. One of those too handsome, too teethy, "I am damn hot and you are totally screwed" grins. He sat back, relaxed and picked up the cup and sipped from it.

"If I were you... I would unlock those locks now," He said with a cocky smirk.


	3. Chapter 3

My eyes narrowed at that. What in the last 3 minutes could have changed. Certainly not me. Though I did start a process of unlocking Torchwood one at a time, regardless of what happens next.

I am not a fool.

I read the files. Well, some of the files.

Torchwood is definitely not something one should hold ransom for too long.

Say, for instant, I died from some random idiot firing a bullet into my brain cause he was a moron with a wrong attitude? Torchwood would be locked, and they would be defenseless.

I am not a fool.

Besides... I had the phone number.

And that damn cup is rattling more.

And then I heard it.

It was a sound like... like... a zipper, I think. A large zipper. A large zipper in water... maybe?  
And the louder it got, the happier Jack got.

He leaned back in his chair, and looked far to his right. I don't know how, but his smile grew wider. He looked at me, his smile taking on a devilish character. "There is a storm coming." And then he got up, and left me there. I watched as he ran out the cafe, and ran to... the man in the brown coat.

And hugged him.

"He's here," I whispered. I think I whispered it. I watched as the two men greeted each other, and Jack was, obviously, talking about me, pointing my way, and, if you were to ask me, his movement about what has transpired here, were a bit over-acted. He stood there, listening to Jack, but I couldn't see his face. I did, however feel a chill roll up my spine.

They started walking back towards me, and I thought about what I should do. I should start packing up my computer. I should tuck my pad away. I should hit the loo. I should pay for my meal.

But, I was a fool, and I sat there. Sat there, on my arse, and watched the two walk towards me. As they came closer, my eyes could do nothing but focus on his face. He had old eyes. They have seen more then they should have, I think. And as he approached, I could see that though he didn't look it, he was observing everything. Jack was going on, no doubt about me and our little game, and he only seemed to half notice. All this going on, and his eyes never left mine.

His brown duster swirled around his ankles as he walked... In sneakers? I mean, yeah, I like them. Don't wear anything else. But.. so odd to imagine a grown man shuffling around in sneakers and a suit. Though, as I watched him, yeah... Yeah, it actually fits him.

They entered the cafe and came closer. I could hear Jack retelling the events that happened here, and I became lost in the man's eyes.

"... the Doctor," Jack said. I blinked then and realized that I had missed everything that was said.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, this is the Doctor. Now, do your part."

Part... My part... Oh! Idiot. I nodded and with a simple single keystroke I unlocked the last of the Torchwood locks.

"It's unlocked," I said. "Sorry about that."

Jack was talking again, but not to either one of us. Torchwood then. Confirming the locks. Suddenly I heard a whistling noise and looked at the doctor who was waving a weird flashlight at my computer, and then looked at it.

"That's interesting," as he said this, his left eyebrow raised and he looked at me. Next thing I know, he's waving the flashlight at me, and its whirling away. "Very interesting."

"What are you doing, and what do you mean by interesting?" Jack finished his call and sat down next to us. The doctor was reaching into his jacket for something as Jack settled into a condescending pose, watching me. The doctor pulled out some black leather wallet-thing, opened it, and closed it.

"Very interesting." Jack looked at the doctor with a slightly confused look on his face. Mine was probably more confused, but this one I will let him wear.

"What's interesting, Doctor?" Jack asked, leaning in closer. The doctor sat there quietly for a few minutes.

"Very Interesting. So... Who are you?"

He looked at me with deep eyes, and his face was stern. Around us, it seemed the air seemed to change. More electrical. The hairs on the back of my neck rose as I sat there, staring into his eyes, and I tried to find the answer to what he was asking.

"Shana. Shana Morris. And you...?"

"I'm the Doctor. And, Shana, tell me... Why are you here?"

"She is here to destroy Torchwood," Jack piped in.

"Now that is not true! I wasn't going to do that, you stepped in and did that." The Doctor's eyebrow raised as his gaze went from me to Jack and back. "I was simply looking for information, and went to the restroom, and I came back and he was here, snooping, and then he didn't let me back onto the computer and it locked him out."

"You locked up the facility with a simple lock-out program? Brilliant!" He laughed and looked at Jack who was not amused. "Timed wasn't it?"

"Yeah. I honestly wasn't going to lock it out..." I traveled across the planet, hacked into a high risk facility, to find this man, and here I sit acting like a idiot.

"And what were you looking for?" He turned his head, looking at me with intense curiosity.

"Information. About you."

"Oh... And Torchwood has a lot on me," he asked as his gaze went back to Jack.

"Not really," Jack and I said at the same time.

"There are mentions of you, but not much. Things like, 'The Doctor appeared and rectified the situation' or something like that. But not much more."

The Doctor laughed then. It was a good and hearty laugh. He looked back to Jack and said, "Keeping me safe are you?"

Jack grinned a sexy grin again and said, "Every chance I get."

"Doctor... What was interesting?" He looked back at me and smiled.

"Well, you are," he said as he pulled that black wallet thing back out, opened it and smiled, and showed it to Jack.

"What the hell?"

"Exactly," The doctor smiled, then he showed me what they were talking about. He turned the wallet towards me, and on it was a simple paper that said, "You must find Shana Morris." and it had the date, time and some numbers.

"Is that... GPS co-ordinates?"

"Yes it is," The Doctor smiled.

"Doctor, why does it want you to find her."

"Dunno yet," He said as he put the wallet back in his jacket. "Can't wait to find out. So, Shana, why did you want to find me?"

Get a grip. Calm down. Don't act stupid. You are smart, witty, and almost never get caught in trouble. Focus and be yourself, I thought. "I am... not exactly sure," I admitted.

"You are American, aren't you?" I nodded. "And you came to Cardiff to find me?"

"Well... I...," I inhaled deeply, and decided that for right now, honesty would be the best thing. "I will be completely honest. Ever since the aliens, I have wanted to come here. But then I saw something, and I had to find out more."

"What did you see?"

"Someone caught you on a cell phone." He looked at me inquisitively, so I continued. "I saw you on a video, and had to find out more."

"I thought I have found all those videos..." Jack muttered. I looked at him and he asked, "Do you have the site you saw it on?"

"No, the video is gone now. I didn't copy it, but..." I reached into my bag and pulled out my notebook, and flipped it open. passing the random doodle or sketch of some alien, I opened it to the page I had the Doctor on and handed it to Jack. "I made this from it."

He looked at it, and whistled and then flipped through the other drawings. "Where did you see these from?" He handed it to the Doctor, whose eyebrows raised as he looked.

"Blimey these are good." I had to smiled at that.

"Well, his from that video, two of the aliens from descriptions online, and most the rest from my dreams. Must be from movies I don't remember."

The Doctor looked up at me and asked, "Really? Oh that's very interesting." He went back to flipping through the pages, nodding as he looked. "Well, I can tell you that most of these are definitely not imaginary. These right here, are Ood, this is the Judoon... oh, look! You have this sorted!"

"Huh?"

"These pages are friendly... and these aren't... and these... I don't know yet." Jack peered over his shoulder and nodded.

"Doctor...," Jack began.

"Yes, I know," The Doctor said quietly.

"Know what?"

"How is that possible? How can she..."

"How can I what?"

Jack began pointing at images on the sketch pad now. "How is that possible?"

"How can I what?!"

"I don't know, but I think we are going to find out." He closed the sketch book and looked at me. "Mind if I keep this for awhile? Thanks!"

"No." He looked at me, his face suddenly shaped into the "s'nuh?" look that I love to put on people.

"Huh? No...?"

"No, you may not." He arced a eyebrow at me, and I grinned. "Answer my questions and you can. I hate sitting in the dark."

He looked up, and then around and he said to Jack, "She is right. We should go... It's getting late." Jack grinned.

"My place or yours," He laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

So I had packed up my stuff, paid for my meal, and we had left the cafe. I followed quietly, in a bit of stunned silence. I was just following the two men, trying to figure out exactly how I managed to find him so easily. And so quickly. My mind swam with the thoughts while Jack talked. Incessantly. He actually seemed giddy talking to the Doctor. Well, I will admit that I like that, better then the half-cocked, angry man pointing a weapon at me.

I looked as we approached a blue box, and both mean leaned against it and smiled at me.

"I love this part," Jack said to the Doctor. "You do too, don't you?"

"I will admit, it never gets old." The doctor grinned at me. "Well, Shana, Welcome to the TARDIS..." And he snapped his fingers. The door to the box opened... and inside was a whole nother place. I looked in... and then peered to the side of the box. And then inside again, and smiled.

"Sweet. Dimensionally Transcendental and with a Chameleon Circuit. Cool." The Doctor and Jack looked at me, but I walked right on it. The Doctor followed me quickly, but he stuttered as he did.

"What? What? Wha-t? What did you say?"

I turned around and looked at him, "Hmm?"

"What the hell," Jack yelled at me, as he followed the Doctor in.

"What?" I looked at the two me, both with a look of shock on their face. "What?"

The Doctor had a look on his face... his eyes seemed like they wanted to come out of his face and he said quietly, "You said Dimensionally Transcendental and with a Chameleon Circuit. How do you know that?"

"I did?" Both men nodded at me. "No I didn't."

"Yeah, you did. I don't know what they mean, but you did say it," Said Jack. He looked at the Doctor as if for a translation.

"How do you know that," The Doctor asked slowly, this time coming closer to me. He had his weird flashlight out again, and started pointing it at me and it whirled. "Who are you?"

"I told you who I am, but I have no idea what you are talking about."

The Doctor looked at me carefully and then, in a very quiet voice he said, "What does a Chameleon Circuit do?"

"A Chameleon Circuit assess the surroundings and changes the exterior to resemble something common to that landscape." I felt my mouth moving, and I saw his eyes darken, but I have no idea what it was that I said.

"And how the hell do you know that?" The doctor came very close to me then, I could feel his breath on my face as he looked deep into my eyes, trying to find his answer.

"Doctor, who is she? What is she?" Jack's voice had changed. It wasn't scared, but it also was not cocky.

"I don't know what I said. And I don't know how I know it." My gaze went from the Doctor's to Jack's and back to the Doctor. "What did I say?"

The Doctor relaxed after another minute. "We will figure it out. I want you to sit down for a minute while I talk to Jack." He directed me to a beat up, crappy chair in the center of the room and sat me down. He reached into my bag and pulled out my sketch book and handed it to me. "Meanwhile, draw something for me. Anything you want."

I looked at him, tilting my head to the side, trying to figure it out but then sighed. "'Kay..." I flipped the book open and started on a fresh new page. He turned around and went to Jack. He placed a arm around his shoulder and the two walked further away as they whispered to each other.

* * *

"How the hell do you know her?" The Doctor yelled. I had jumped to my feet, having been so involved in the drawing I had blocked everything else out.

"You just scared the shit out of me!" My heart was racing. I hate it when people sneak up on me.

"How. The. Hell. Do. You. Know. Her. Tell me. Now." This man... in this mood... Whatever I thought before... This man is not to be fooled with. The air around us had energized, and I will not deny the fact that I was fully and completely afraid. I am never afraid. Ever. His mouth was twisted into a snarl and his teeth were ground together, and there was a fire in his eyes.

"I don't know. You said to draw, and I did." I looked at him and handed him the sketchpad.

"Do you know who this is? What is her name?"

"River Song." I heard myself answer, but I don't know where the answer came from. I knew it was correct, but how do I know it.

"How do you know that," he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Neither his pose, nor his temperament had changed. Jack approached us slowly.

"Who is River Song," Jack asked.

"A Professor of Archaeology." Holy crap! How is it I have answers to their questions? I don't know these things I am answering!

"How. Do. You. Know. That." I looked at the Doctor and just started shaking my head.

"I don't know. I don't know. I really really don't know."

"Jack. Torchwood. Does it have anything that would have downloaded information to her without her knowing? You said she had been in the system awhile."

"No. Nothing at all like that. And we have nothing in our files about a River Song. Do you know her?"

"Yes..." The Doctor answered quietly. His face changed a bit then. There was a sadness that came into his face. Then he looked at me, that sadness gone from him again. "The question is, how do you know these things, Shana? How do you know these things and not know that you know them?"

The doctor began flipping through the sketchpad again and came to the picture I had done of him. "This image here. How long was the video?"

"3.2 seconds."

"3.2 seconds? And you drew this from that?" I nodded, and now that he asked that I can admit that that seemed so unlikely. And it was from a cell phone. A shaky cell phone.

"How is it possible Doctor?"

He looked at me and sighed. "I don't know. But we will find out."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello fine readers! Welcome back! I am trying to publish a few chapters at a time, as time permits. Please leave a review if you feel so inclined. Guest reviewers are not a guaranteed listing. (Which means if you don't sign in, I reserve the right to delete your review simply because I am allergic to trolls.)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The Doctor worked away on the console of the Tardis; flipping a switch, rolling a wheel, toggling a toggle. Jack came into the console room and hopped into the "pilot's chair".

"Well, she is in bed now. Was knocking her out a wise move?"

"We don't know how she knows that information, and to protect her, it is best if she is unconscious."

"Have you seen anything like this before? Or what else are you worried about?" The Doctor looked up and sighed deeply.

"Spoilers."

"I'm sorry," Jack asked, tilting his head to his side. "What do you mean?"

"Spoilers. She doesn't know how she knows the information, but she has the answers to the questions. And, not knowing, she seems to answer quite readily, and without hesitation. We could ask her questions regarding the future, and get the answers we aren't supposed to have. Foreknowledge is dangerous, and she is full of it... River, she is from my future."

"Then how do you know her?"

"She's a time traveler too. We met at The Library."

"You said she was from your future," Jack said quizzically.

"She is. She knew me. She knew... a lot about me. And she had this diary," he smiled, thinking of the diary. "It was Tardis blue. It was old, and tattered, and filled with all this information about us."

"You read it," Jack asked shocked at the indiscretion.

"No. Almost though. But she caught me," he grinned. "No, she had pulled me aside and started going through it to see where we were in the timeline. It was, the first time we had met, but the last time for her." His gaze ghosted back to that sadness. Jack always hurt when he saw this look on his friend. That deep aching look that seemed to tear through his friend's soul.

"What happened?"

"She sacrificed herself to save everyone on the planet." They sat there, quietly as the Tardis did her sounds of flight.

After the uneasy quiet, Jack cleared his throat and asked quietly, "Is Shana dangerous?"

"I honestly don't know," the Doctor sighed. "If she can answer questions and not know that she is or that she has the answers, that is one thing. But we don't know if she can do things and know or not know she is doing them."

"The message on the paper... who sent it?"

"That is a good question," he grinned at Jack. "Did she and not know it? I don't think so. Besides," and he pulled the paper back out and opened it. "I got a new message." He tossed it to Jack who opened it and read inside. A date, co-ordinates, and a message; Hurry.

"What is going on," Jack asked as he tossed the paper back to the Doctor.

"I don't know yet. Tell me, what do you know about her?"

"Nothing really. I know that she arrived in England just a few hours before I met her. And she is a damn good hacker." The doctor smiled at him, and he grinned back. "Really. I mean she went through all the safeties like they were dandelion fluff. Never saw anything so fast."

"So you were watching the whole time she hacked," The Doctor laughed.

"No, not the whole time. Do you think her abilities on that are related to her memory thing?"

"Well," The Doctor began said as he started to walk around the console. "She does know stuff that she doesn't know. But could she know to hack and not know? No, I think that may be part of her natural ability. Anything else?"

"Yeah... You know how she seemed afraid when we were asking her those questions?" The Doctor nodded. "Well... when I drew my gun on her, she didn't flinch. Not one bit."

"You drew a gun on her?"

"Don't get all mad. You had to be there. I was rightly pissed off. Torchwood was locked out... And this girl is smart. And calm. Really calm. Scary calm." The Tardis made its familiar odd sound that Jack recognized as a landing, and the floor shuddered a bit. "What now?"

"You stay here. I will go check it out." Jack nodded and the Doctor headed out of the Tardis. The door closed behind him and Jack leaned back in his chair, his mind trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together. The door flew open again and the Doctor peeked back in, "And Jack... Don't go near her till I return. Last thing we need is her complaints of molestation."

"Hey! No one ever complains!" The Doctor looked at Jack and shook his head.

"Don't. Just... Don't."

"Aye Captain my Captain." Jack saluted and the Doctor left.

* * *

The Doctor inhaled deeply as he stood outside the Tardis. Rosantalidan. The Third moon of the planet Buros. He looked into the sky and his hearts pulled at a memory. If any place ever resembled Gallifrey, it was Rosantalidan. The sky was the same burnt orange, and the grass was the same red. Even the trees. They had the same silver trees. The air had hints of sea water and strawberries. The Doctor stood there and just let his senses take in the place.

"Hello Sweetie," he heard, and he whipped around to see her there. Her curly hair looked like fire as it soaked up the atmosphere. She stood and smiled at him.

"River..." He could barely get the words out. He looked at her and smiled. She had in her hands, her diary. "No point in going through the diary. This is only my second time meeting you."

River smiled at him, and nodded, and then put her diary away. "I am sorry to have brought you here, I know its not a great place for you, but it was the only safe place I knew of. Is she with you? Shana?"

"She is," he nodded. "She's resting in the Tardis. Who is she?"

"Who she is, I am not really certain. No one is, really. But, she is important, and she is in grave danger."

"Is there ever any danger that isn't grave," He asked and River laughed. She tilted her head and turned to walk, and the Doctor joined her. They strolled quietly for a bit on the reflection of his home world, and he tried to not let the memories hurt. Finally he broke the silence, which had been comfortable despite everything. "What can you tell me?"

She looked at him, tilting her head, her eyes glittering. He did like the way the suns turned her hair to copper.. He closed his eyes catching his thoughts and blocking the memory of her future. "What do you know so far?"

"She is... unusual," He said. "She knows things that she shouldn't know. And she knows things that haven't happened yet. Is she from our future? I mean she would have to be, to know..." River nodded.

"She is not from the future," She said and he looked at her, his eyebrows furrowing into his skull. "And that is why she is in danger."

"The information she has, she doesn't know she has it," River nodded and he continued. "You can ask a question and she answers, without hesitation, without a thought to decide if she should say so. We had to... sedate her. I was afraid that I would learn to much before I should."

"We?" River asked, a bit of jealousy entering her eyes for a microsecond and he laughed.

"Jack."

"Oh! Is he here? Mmmm that could be fun-"

"Don't. Don't. Just... Don't."

"Spoil my fun," She pouted and then things went back to the seriousness of the situation. "Shana does have that foreknowledge. And the inability to keep from saying anything. If you hadn't of gotten her when you did, things would be very different now."

They walked a bit further to a clearing where some rocks stood watch over the crimson field. River sat on the boulders, and the Doctor sat next to her. He looked out as the wind rolled along the plain, the grass bending and swaying. The leaves on the trees in the distance sparkled and shined for them, and he sighed deeply. He looked down at River's hand, that she had placed on his knee, and looked at her.

"Are you all right?"

"Me? I'm always all right." She nodded.

"Rule one?" The Doctor looked at her and slowly nodded. "Why did you make it? If it hurts you so?"

"I had thought, in the beginning, that somewhere, out there, there were some refugees. Some that had survived." He looked up into the sky. The first of the stars were starting to appear as dusk approached. "They would need a place, a home. It wasn't Gallifrey, but it could be like it. But as time went on, and it was more and more clear that I was the only one... This place lost the thought of being a home, and became more like a mausoleum. A empty mausoleum. No one would live here, no children would run on the fields."

"When you brought me here, you wouldn't explain anything to me about it. Just made sure I knew it was here. And it was a safe place. One second out of sync with the rest of the universe."

"Best way to hide something." He closed his eyes again and inhaled deeply again. "Right. Now, Shana. What do we do with her? Can you tell me what happened to her in the future? I assume we are changing it."

"Quite right," River nodded. "She was captured, and tortured, bombarded with questions and her answers changed everything." She reached down, plucking a few of the tall red reeds of grass, and bringing it to her nose. She inhaled deeply, smiling. They both sat there, quietly, time slowly passing, as it does, contemplating the future and their actions.

"Well," he said quietly. "We have to find a answer. Can't come all this way to leave her sedated with a horny Jack in the Tardis and us admiring the quietness of the landscape."

"What do you suggest?" He looked at River and his hearts pulled at him. He couldn't forget the last time he saw her. Or their words to each other. He looked away from her and towards the Tardis.

"Well... what I suggest might be tricky... I can see about looking through her mind. See if we can find answers. But doing so might let me see the wrong information."

"The future."

"Yeah..." He ran his fingers through his hair and scratch at the back of his head. River smiled. She always loved that move. He jumped up to his feet and reached a hand out to her. She took it and hopped down from the boulder. Together they walked back to the Tardis.


	6. Chapter 6

They entered the Tardis and River smiled. It was different then the one she knows. It was still comfortable like home, but different. She felt the tickle in her mind that the Tardis always gave her to say hello.

She looked around, but the control room was empty. "I thought you said Jack was here."

The Doctor looked at her and growled. "He is." And then he took off towards the living quarters. River followed closely behind. They ran down the corridors, and finally got to the bedrooms, the first two were empty, and the third is where they found Shana. Sound asleep.

No sign of Jack. "So where is he?"

"I was in the restroom, if you have to know," Jack said, as he sauntered in. "Why hello there," he grinned, as he admired the new woman in the room. He walked forward, hand outstretched, "Captain Jack Harkness at your service."

"MMMMmmmm yes I know. How are you Captain?"

"Better now that you are here. River Song, isn't it?" She nodded and he grinned. "Just as beautiful as your picture."

The Doctor could hear River purr behind him and he turned around and stepped between the two. "Cut it out you two. You can flirt later. We have a job to do now." He looked at the two, and shook his head.

"Like horny teenagers," he muttered to himself.

The Doctor left Shana's room and hoped they were following. He went down to the library trying to block out their flirting and his mind was running through a hundred scenarios. The Doctor began to pace and circle the room. He loved the library. Not as much as he used to. The smell of books he loved now brings to mind River's last moments. But the calmness that a library always has always helped him think better.

River and Jack sat down on one of the leather couches and half watched the Doctor, and half flirted, though quietly, to each other. River always did love playing the innuendo game with Jack. She looked at him and fluttered her eyelashes at him and whispered, "What picture?"

Jack leaned forward and whispered, "Shana drew one of you right before we came here." River looked at him, her eyes wide. "She has this book of sketches. Filled with tons of stuff. Some of which we do know, some of which he says he doesn't know."

"Can I see it?"

"No," The Doctor said.

"Why not?"

"Spoilers."

"Spoilers? I am from the future." River glared at him. "Go get it for me," She said to Jack.

"Don't." The Doctor replied. River stood up and faced the Doctor, her eyes locking with his.

"Go get it for me, Jack."

"Don't." The Doctor stared River down. She stared back. Both at a impasse. Jack sat and watched. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence Jack slowly got up, and left to get the pad. Whoever wins this battle, they can have it. He most certainly was not going to get in between these two. When he returned, they hadn't moved, and they continued to be locked into each other's stare.

He walked over to a table near the two, and slowly, quietly, laid it down on it. He backed away carefully, and sat back down on the couch to watch this battle of wills.

River reached for it, and the Doctor laid his hand on it, staring her down. "Who are you, River?"

She smiled, swiped the pad from him and said, "Spoilers" then laughed as she started going through the book. The Doctor spun around and cursed her under his breath. He has a bad feeling that he may never have the upper hand with this one, and prayed that its a while before they run into each other again.

"Oh wow. You weren't kidding. She is full of spoilers, isn't she." River had stopped on a page that had a alien on it that reminded the Doctor of something he once saw.

"Yeah, just... don't say anything." She nodded and flipped further through it, and started to laugh. The Doctor peered down and saw what she was laughing at. "Don't. Just, don't." She grinned and looked at Jack who was now intrigued.

Jack got up from his seat, and peered into the pad, seeing some big... well it looked like a face. In a jar. The Doctor closed the book quickly, snatching it from River's grasp.

"What was that," Jack asked, now very curious.

The Doctor and River looked at each other and back to Jack and said in unison, "Spoilers."

"So, Doctor, you have a plan?" River watched the Doctor pace. Seeing him like this was a bit hard to get used to. They are the same, but so different. "Doctor?"

"I have a almost plan. River... Jack... you should get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day." Jack perked up and adjusted his waist band. River grinned and the Doctor just shook his head. "What ever you do, I don't want to hear about it. Ever." River laughed and grabbed Jack's arm and they strolled arm and arm out of the room.

When he was sure they were gone, he picked up the sketch book, and sat down on the couch. He kicked his trainers off and laid back. He slowly started to go through the sketch book again. He examined the drawings of the species he knew carefully. Every detail was exact, and correct. The drawing of the Dalek was extremely precise. And she had even done a cut-away of it, showing the interior of the Dalek shell. The same with the Cyberman.

She knows everything anyone needs to destroy any of them. His mind raced to thoughts of all the things he could do with this information. He knew the weakness of his enemies now. He could strike first. End them... and he slammed the book shut. "Very dangerous indeed," He said in the quiet room.

"What is," said a voice behind him. He turned and saw her behind him. He got up and went to her. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and waved it at her. It made it's little whirring noises and he looked at it and then shut it off again. "Could you just not do that? I swear, every time you come near, you point that thing at me. You could just say 'hi'."

He smiled at that and then glanced back at the book and back to her. "Hungry?"

She looked at him, a eyebrow raised in wonder and then her stomach growled. "I think I am," she laughed, and he smiled.

"Allons-y!" he said, and then off they went to the kitchen. He made them both a sandwich, grabbed a few drinks, and took her outside to the fields of Rosantalidan. She had kept pace with him, but as the doors of the Tardis opened, and she saw the crimson grass, and the setting suns, she hesitated and inhaled deeply. She whispered something and he whirled around, "What?"

She looked at him, her face a bit blank at his question. "What?"

"What did you say," He asked, coming close to her again, his eyes peering deeply into hers.

She ignored his closeness, and looked back at the landscape, and a smile appeared on her lips. "Gallifrey," she sighed quietly.

His hearts skipped a beat as she said that and he almost dropped what was in his hands. He felt his legs wanting to go weak. He watched as her face changed from that happy, content look when she had said it, to the look of worry when she saw his reaction. He sat down then, and watched as she sat across from him.

"Shana, I don't know who you are, but I know that you are filled with a lot of information you most certainly aren't supposed to have." He handed her one of the drinks and her sandwich. He watched her as she took a nibble out of the sandwich. She took a sip from her drink, and looked at him.

"Dangerous information," she said. Not a question this time. He nodded and took a bite of his sandwich. He looked past her to the Tardis and back at her. "Tell me about Gallifrey."

He looked at her, and his face changed over again. It took on a deep sadness and he ground his teeth. She could see he was debating whether to say anything or not, but the answer was obviously painful for him. He suddenly inhaled and looked up to the stars.

"It was... beautiful. It used to be called the Shining World of the Seven Systems. It looked like this, mostly. The fields of deep red grass... Forests full of trees with silver leaves... And there was the Citadel. The Citadel of the Time Lords. The oldest and most mightiest of races in the universe..." His voice trailed off, and they sat there quietly. They ate in silence then, finishing their little meal, and watching the stars pass overhead.

"There was a war," he said at last, into the silence. "A Time war. A war for the sake of all creation... and we lost. Everyone lost. They are all gone now. Everyone. My family, my friends... My planet..." The silence came back again, and they sat there surrounded by it. As he had said the words to her, images came to her mind, and she saw what he was telling her. Could see, like a memory, the burning of the citadel, the fight of the races, the destruction.

A tear fell from her eyes at these memories, and she wiped it away, and saw him watching her. He reached a hand over to her, and she reached for his and suddenly, they were polarized. As if lightning had struck from the sky, she could see everything in his mind, and he could see everything in hers. So much pain, anguish and anger, it coursed through them. Her throat felt sore and raw and she realized she must be screaming, though she couldn't hear it, and saw his mouth open too, as if he is also screaming. At long last, they collapsed from the contact and passed out into quiet bliss.


	7. Chapter 7

River was sound asleep, her dreams coming of the good times with her Doctor. Running with adventure. She loved being with him, watching him come up with brilliantly insane ideas to get out of impossible situations. She loved how he could become so energized from the excitement. As they were running through the forests of Padamore, she could feel someone calling her. Sadly, her conscious left Padamore, and she awoke on her bed in the Tardis. She stretched as she woke, finding a lovely warm body next to her, she opened her eyes and smiled seeing Jack sound asleep next to her.

This is always how it was with her and Jack. He hated to sleep alone, but he knew she might not ever have sex with him. For the two of them it was always the games more then anything else. Oh, later, well, later for him, earlier for her, they would let people assume whatever they wanted to think. It hurt no one's reputation, and had helped on occasion. She stretched again, and felt that calling that had woken her up.

She sat up, and gathered her robe. She let her mind reach out to tell the Tardis she was awake, but when she did, the Tardis sent her a mental feeling of panic. She quickly shook Jack who grumbled about needing his sleep, and she pulled him off the bed.

"Get up! It's the Doctor. Something is wrong." Jack jumped at the words and within seconds they were running down the corridors. Jack followed River, hoping she knew where the Doctor was, cause the Tardis is too large to find anyone easily. They ran as fast as they could, River picking up the panic from the Tardis, and Jack picking up the feeling from River. Down the corridors, past the Library, the Kitchen, the Swimming Pool, the Game Room, out past the console, and through the door.

The first of the two suns were rising, the trees in the nearby valley began to sparkle, but no one admired it. River ran to where the boulder was the night before and she saw them then. Shana and the Doctor, unconscious on the ground. River ran to the Doctor, and Jack to Shana. She checked his pulse, which for two hearts, was not beating strongly at all and his breathing was shallow. Jack found Shana to be in the same condition, and looked at River.

"What happened? What should we do?" He saw for a moment, a look of panic cross her face, and then she gathered herself up and shook her head.

"Go back and get some blankets, and nutri-packs. I don't know what happened, but I am not moving them until one of them is conscious." Jack nodded and ran back. He was back quickly with what she wanted, and her scanner which she ran over the two. She mumbled something about the readings, going over the two of them repeatedly. "It doesn't make sense. It shows no sign of trauma, or poison, or anything, but...oh... this is weird... this doesn't make any sense..."

"What is it?" Jack watched as she went back and forth between the two muttering "how in the hell..." repeatedly. "River! What is it?"

"Their hearts... This doesn't make any sense..."

"What about their hearts?"

She looked up from her scanner, looked him square in the eye and quietly said, "They are beating together. Perfectly together."

Jack looked at her, trying to understand. "How is that possible? He has two hearts..."

River nodded and looked at him. "Yes... and so does she."

* * *

The Doctor's head pounded at him, and he felt like he had been run over by a stampede of rabid Judoons. He opened his eyes slowly, to find he was surrounded by mist and light. He couldn't focus for the pounding in his head, though he did try. After a few minutes, he was able to sit up, but that didn't improve the situation. He was able to see someone near him. At first, he couldn't figure out who she was, but slowly some of the pounding got quieter, and he was able to pull a name from his memory.

He reached for her, and whispered, "Shana, Shana, are you all right? Can you hear me?" He saw her move then, and reach for her head. "Don't sit up too fast, and don't open your eyes too fast." She made a small nod of understanding, and he waited for her to get her bearings.

"What happened," she finally managed to ask.

"I don't know. What do you remember?"

"We were sitting... and eating... and then nothing. I don't remember." She looked at him, her eyes half closed to block out the blinding light. "Where are we?"

"I don't know yet. But I promise you we will get out of here." She nodded a small nod, and sat, trying to gather her wits. He sat too, but with more worry then he was letting on. His mind had a empty spot he was just noticing. That one familiar corner in his mind where the Tardis resides. He tried to search for her, but the further he tried, the more his head pounded with pain.

* * *

"What do you mean she has two hearts? That can't be. He would have noticed that. He scanned her! Twice!"

"I don't know Jack! I just know that she has two hearts, and they are beating in perfect rhythm with his. AND that his are not beating as they should." She shook her scanner, banged her hand on it a few times and re-scanned them. She knew the readings were right. She knew the readings hadn't changed in the four times she had scanned them already, but she couldn't do much more.

And the Tardis was pleading with her. Well, it felt like pleading. River's mind was running in circles and she cursed everything under the sun. She didn't know what to do, and she was afraid. Very afraid. She leaned down to the Doctor, and whispered in his ear, "I am here. I will figure it out. Just don't you die on me." She swallowed hard, and then looked up at Jack.

"We need the Doctor." Jack looked at her for a second, and then he knew what she meant. She handed him her vortex manipulator. She pulls out a pen and writes down a address. "Go to this address... and about this time," She scribbles more down. "He will appear there around then. I can't be exactly certain when... You can ask the couple that lives there. They know him. Tell them I sent you, and that I am ok, and that I will be home soon." He looked at her and the address and back to her. She smiled and said, "My parents. Now go. Hurry."

Jack strapped on the vortex manipulator and plugged in the information. "I will be back as fast as I can." And in a poof! he was gone.

River laughed a weak laugh when he left and thought, "I should have explained Mum and Dad to him..."

* * *

"I take it, this wasn't part of a plan," Shana finally said. Her head was not pounding as badly as it had been, but there were spots in her vision that seemed to be dancing to some unheard music. She rubbed at her eyes again, but it didn't help. Just touching them hurt.

"Not one of my plans, at least," He said, rubbing at his own eyes. He tried hard to remember each thing that had happened before he woke, but all he remembered was a searing, painful flash. "Can you remember anything yet?"

"Just sitting, and eating that sandwich. Was there something in it?" He slowly shook his head. He didn't want the worst of the throbbing to return. "Wait... we were talking about something..."

"Yeah... you had said... something... Gallifrey. You said Gallifrey and then I told you about it..."

"And then... then... then our hands touched..."

"Yeah..." He tried to remember it, and now he can. Can he remember it clearly? He told her about Gallifrey... and saw her crying for the memory, and he reached for her hand... That was it. But where were they now?

"Shana, we will get out of this." He looked at her, and as she looked at him, he looked for the same look he had seen before, in the others. In Rose, and Martha, and Donna... In all of them. The look that said, "I know. I have faith in you." But she didn't have that conviction. Hell, she doesn't even know him yet.

Shana began to look around, the throbbing in her head starting to settle, and her vision clearing. Well, her vision was clearing, but where they were was more misty, or fog like. She closed her eyes and concentrated on settling the throbbing, until it was a minor pin prick of pain. That she can deal with. Having had headaches all her life, this is a minor nothing. the pricks of pain are a lot easier to ignore.

She inhaled deeply and then slowly opened her eyes.

The fog was still there, but it wasn't... there was something about it...

* * *

Jack had been gone ten minutes. River had cursed every god, demi-god and world creator she had ever studied about in his absence. She had never felt more useless and helpless in her life, then she did right now.

And then she heard it. That wonderful sound. She turned to look, and parked next to the Tardis was another Tardis, though a bit different, it was still there. She felt the tickle of greeting from it and smiled.

The door flew open and Jack ran out. Disheveled and out of breath, he ran towards her. "He is a mad man!" She grinned and smiled as her Doctor approached. "Sorry it took so long. How long was I gone?"

"Just over 10 minutes," She said, and then looked at her Doctor. "Hello Sweetie."

"River," he said as he pulled his sonic screwdriver out and waved it over the other Doctor and Shana. "Oh... that's interesting... River..."

"I know. I didn't know what else to do."

"River... What are you doing? Or should I say, were you doing?" He crouched down to look her straight in the eyes.

"Can you help them?"

He looked at her again, and stood up, turning away from all of them. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes to all that was around him and ground his teeth. Finally bowing his head he said, "No."

"What do you mean no?" She jumped to her feet and turned him to face her. "You have to help."

"River, I cannot. You know I can't alter my own timeline." He looked at her and saw a painful look in them that he had never seen before.

"You have to help."

He placed his hands on her shoulders, and put his forehead to hers. In a quiet, almost whisper he said, "You are rewriting history."

"I know, my love. But I had to save her. It was the only way." He looked into her eyes, and back at the two prone figures. He put his forehead back to hers and gripped her shoulders. Inhaling deeply he made a decision. He looked at her again and nodded.

"This one time River. This one time only, do you understand?" She nodded and they both turned back to where the other Doctor and Shana lay. Jack was checking their pulses when they got to him. "Jack, we need to get them into his Tardis. Quickly now. BUT! Do NOT let them touch."

"Why not? What will happen..." River looked at how they were laying and it was apparent that they had been within contact of each other. "Is that what happened? What will happen if they touch again?"

The doctor looked at her, his hair falling into his eyes, and he said quietly, "Let's just not find out, shall we?"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: To my fellow Whovians and new followers, welcome! I am so glad you are enjoying the story. I tried to post it on Teaspoon, which many of you know about, bout after 3 or 4 attempts to get just ONE chapter given their "okay to publish" I chose not to struggle. So, I am glad you have found it here.**

* * *

Jack had laid the Doctor down on the first bed the sickbay, and the other Doctor had laid Shana on another.

The Doctor stood back and awkwardly scratched his right cheek with his left hand. River stood next to him, watching for that spark of genius to flare. She loved when that happened. He glowed when full of the excitement of knowing he knew what to do, and doing what he knew had to be done, and that grin and confidence of his when it happened.

He began to pace as his mind worked out the kinks. Finally he pulled out his sonic and pointed it at Shana and then the other Doctor. He could feel the Tardis in his mind. She was very upset. He looked at River and could see she was feeling the Tardis too.

"Well, you bad girl, you have certainly made things tricky for me today, haven't you?"

"Don't I always," She smiled at him.

He began to pace again and mumbled a million words at once, even River had a hard time keeping up with what he was saying. His hands were flailing about and every once in awhile he would look at his screwdriver again. Finally he stopped and stood still, looking at the two prone bodies, and bowed his head, placing his heads on his hips and sighing deeply.

"Do you have a plan," River asked. He suddenly whirled around and quickly walked out, and headed straight for the console.

He walked around her, looking at the older version of the Tardis, caressing the knobs, stroking the spindles. He missed this version of her... But when she had changed, it was so much easier to put the memories of the past away. To not have to touch the railing Rose loved to sit on... To not have to stand in the spot where he had destroyed what had been Donna... The Tardis reached out and sent him a caress. "Oh you Sexy thing..."

He saw then, what was different. The Tardis showed him and now he could see. And this was not good indeed. "River," he said as he turned around. She was there, right behind him, grinning.

"Should I be jealous?"

"No, but you should be worried," he said, without a ounce of play in him. "The Tardis can't find him."

* * *

Her skin prickled and itched. The mist that flowed around them was not a fog. It didn't feel menacing, but there was something about it that made her want to run. A stupid thought that. They had tried, when they managed to qwell the headaches, to walk. Standing had been difficult, walking, nearly impossible. After several attempts, it was obvious there was no place to go anyways.

His headaches had return, and he was in horrible pain, and there was nothing she could do for him. He laid there, on the ground, nearly in a fetal position and had his hands wrapped around his head, trying to block the pain.

She moved over to him, then. Sat down next to him, and put his head in her lap. Her fingers moved around his neck and ears, trying to bring to him a soft touch that will distract from the pain. When she was a child, this had worked for her, and helped remove some of the worse of the migraines. After a bit, he had begun to relax, and even the air around them hadn't seemed as menacing.

"Thank you," he whispered. She could tell from his voice that the pain was still there.

"I think... that if you don't try to figure a way out of this... the pain will lessen." He turned his head slowly, and opened a eye at her. She shrugged and continued, "While we sat here, I just didn't think of anything, and mine is almost gone."

He smiled then, a weak smile. "I... don't think... I know... how to do that..."

"Then rest. I wont move. We'll get out of here." She watched his eyes close again and they sat quietly.

His mind pounded like Sontarans on military parade. The pain was unbearable, and he couldn't move, couldn't speak and it was getting worse. He could feel his body curling up into a ball, and he couldn't even fight that.

He felt her then. Her hands lifting his head, and then their soft touch on his temples, and through his hair, and then to the base of his neck. He touch seemed to release some of the pain from him. He could hear a sound. A sound above the pounding, and he tried to focus on it, figure out what it was.

"...don't try to figure a way out of this... the pain will lessen." He looked at her and she shrugged. "While we sat here, I just didn't think of anything, and mine is almost gone." If he could have laughed then, he would have. Not think? Him? How?

"I... don't think... I know... how to do that..." He had heard the words and knew he had said it.  
He kept his eyes on her and saw a smile cross her lips. "Then rest. I wont move. We'll get out of here." He knew that to be true, but how it would happen, with him like this...

It was hypnotic, in a way, the movements of her fingers, as they caressed his temples, and trickled through his hair. She loved watching his hair fall back into the place she had moved it from. Everyone loves it when someone runs their fingers through their hair. She didn't know why, but knew it was true. His face wasn't as pinched as it had been, and she went back to letting her fingers run from his temples, through his scalp and down his neck. She could fee the muscles relax a fraction more each time, and knew it was helping. It was certainly helping her too. The tiny prick of pain is still there, but it's size had shrunk considerably since she started.

She tried, again to think about where they were, but the second she did, the pain began again, so she stopped. Where ever they were, his friends were going to have to figure it out, because they were most certainly not going to do much good.

* * *

Jack had heard the yelling from down the hall. Unfortunately, sound gets distorted by the Tardis' walls, and he couldn't make it out. So, he went to investigate. He could hear that fiery River and the other Doctor, and their arguments getting louder and more clearer. He wondered if he should stay back where he was, when he heard her say what he knew had to be wrong.

"-she is a Time Lord! How can you argue against it?" Jack peeked around the doorway and saw the two of them, face to face, River's face red with heat, and the Doctor's body tense and his jaw clenched.

"She is not a Time Lord," he growled quietly. "I would know if she were. HE would know if she were." He spun around and flipped some switches on the console, that River flipped back behind him.  
"Then explain the readings, my love."

He looked at her again, and said quietly "I can't. I haven't figured that part out yet." He sighed deeply then and said to her, "Why do you have to be... so... this?"

"Because that's the way you love me," she smiled.

Jack quietly stepped back into the shadows of the corridor and found his way back to his Doctor and Shana. Something in his mind was pecking at him, and he didn't know what it was. Something he forgot, no doubt, that was important.

As he entered the sickbay, he saw that they were both still unconscious, and he grimaced. Then he heard a sound. It was like a small moan of pain, and he rushed forward. He looked from the Doctor to Shana and back trying to figure out who had done it. Then he saw the Doctor's eyes move as if in REM sleep, and one barely cracked open. Jack got close to his face then, and grabbed his hand.

"Doctor? Can you hear me?" He felt his hand move a tiny bit and squeezed it. "It's Jack. I am here."

"We..." The Doctor breathed that word. It had almost no sound to it, and he had struggled with it. Jack held onto the hand and waited for him, afraid if he said anything, he would not hear what else the Doctor might say.

"Are..." Jack could hear footsteps running towards him. He held his breath, willing the Doctor to say what he could. He knew River and the Doctor stood behind him now, quietly watching. He could feel their anxiousness in the air.

"Trapped..."

The Doctor's body had gone limp again, and Jack put his hand back on his chest. He got up and looked over at Shana. River and the Doctor were both looking from his Doctor to Shana and back again.

"What did they say, Jack," River asked. The color seemed to have left her for a few moments, and she looked nearly ghost-like.

"The Doctor said "we are" and then she said "trapped"." He looked at the other Doctor, trying to read his face, but he was not a easy read. Not at all.


	9. Chapter 9

The Doctor cried out in pain, his head feeling like a hot metal poker had just sliced through it. Shana rolled on the ground next to him, clutching her head screaming as loud as he. "I'm sorry" he said, over and over and over, as they both writhed on the floor, and finally it was quiet. The darkness took them from their waking terror and left them free of the pain as they had passed out.

Shana awoke to find herself curled into a ball, her legs and arms hurt from apparently keeping the position. Her head thumped, throbbed, banged, and she was extremally dizzy. She opened her eyes and screamed aloud as the light pierced right into her brain, and she passed out again.

He awoke slowly, rolling onto his back, his body in more pain then he ever thought possible. He had a thought rolling through his brain, repeating, and he had to agree with the thought; "Don't do that again".

The struggle to try to reach the Tardis, or anyone, and when he managed to say those few words, the pain that hit them... The pain that hit them... His mind started to pick up a thought then. Them. Both of them. "Us," He whispered. And then he thought of Shana and opened his eyes to find her, and passed out from the pain of the light.

* * *

"Doctor?" Jack looked at him and the Doctor took out his screwdriver again and waved it at both. He stared at it a long time, then closed it and looked up. River saw his gaze drift off beyond where they were.

"They are connected now," He said and River looked at him. "But the question is, why are they connected? And how are they connected?"

He looked at River again, and ground his teeth. Changing the past, not a great thing to do... changing his past... so tricky. And try as he might, he doesn't remember any of this.

"Jack," The Doctor turned towards him. "How long have they known each other?"

"Uh... From first meeting till we knocked her out?"

"What do you mean, you knocked her out," River asked, a bit shocked.

"Wasn't my idea," Jack said, raising his hands up and stepping back. "He said it would be better for now, since she couldn't control the information. You ask a question, she answers it, without hesitating. So, to keep the information safe, he knocked her out. But, before he did that... I dunno... not even 2 hours?"

"Two hours," he said loudly. "Two hours?" He started pacing again, and he would repeat that often. "Two... Hours..."

* * *

Jack had left the Doctor and River to their thoughts, and he went back out to the planet. Being in the Tardis... He loved being there, even though it always meant a fight, but it also meant excitement, adventure, and time with the Doctor. Of course now it was different, since he was travelling alone.  
Jack kicked at the dirt and shuffled a circle around the two Tardises.

His heart hurt, thinking of the Doctor, travelling alone, and now, laying there, without even the Tardis to keep him company. Not fully alone, being connected to Shana, but he didn't think that was the same.  
He leaned against the backside of the blue box, and slid down to sit. He gathered some of the grass into his hand and stuck a long piece in his mouth. The grass may be red, but it still tasted green to him, he smiled. And then, out there, alone, with no one to see, he began to cry.

* * *

"Shana..." Her head throbbed, and she worked to quiet it, focusing her thoughts slowly, in a practice she had done many many times before, until the pain was bearable. "Shana..." She wanted to open her eyes, but her mind screamed at her not to. "Shana..." She could now focus on the fact she kept hearing her name. "Shana..." She went to move, but even the thought of it made her feel ill. She felt a hand touch hers, and she gripped it with all her might.

"I am sorry. I am so sorry about that."

She licked her lips and tried to speak. "What happened?"

She slowly opened her eyes, painful at first, but it was no longer as bright as it had been earlier. He was watching her carefully, for the first time she looked into his brown eyes. She smiled and then struggled to sit up, but her body refused her. "Just, relax. It's okay. It's easier here now, once you wake up."

"What happened?"

He looked up and swallowed hard and then looked back at her. "There was, a... well, it felt like a weak spot. I thought I could feel the Tardis, and I tried to tell it what happened. But instead I ended up hurting both of us. I am sorry about that."

"Don't be sorry." He looked at her, tweaking his left eyebrow up. "If it was a chance to get us out of here, don't be sorry. Did it work?"

"Yeah... Don't think so."

"Well, you have my permission to try again, if you feel it again. Do you... know where we are?"

He slowly shook his head from side to side. Slowly to keep the pain at bay, she knew. "Not a clue. But I don't think we are on a physical plane."

"Well," she smiled. "That's good to know."

"It is?"

"Well," she said, smiling a weak smile at him. "We know where we aren't, which is more then we knew." He grinned then at that.

After a few minutes, and a bit of a struggle, Shana managed to sit up. Every bone and muscle in her body hurt as if she had run a marathon. "If we aren't in a physical plane... How can I hurt so much?"

He raised his arm and scratched the back oh his neck at her question. "I think, maybe, as in a dream, when you expect pain, you feel it? Or, maybe we are on a physical plane, just not the same as the rest of the universe..."

"Are we," She began, searching for words. To have not been able to talk for what felt like forever, and now they can have a conversation seemed very different on its own. "Are we completely here? I mean, is this a dream? Is it only our mind? But that can't be, can it? Cause we are both here. Unless you are part of my dream."

He looked at her and smiled. "I think we have to keep figuring it out."

"So, what was the message?"

"Eh?"

"The message you tried to tell the Tardis? Figure I should know, since I did pay for part of the call."

He looked at her and smiled a toothy smile. She was a cheeky girl. And rather smart. She reminded him of Donna, save for the loudness.

"We are trapped." She looked at him, and nodded. "I guess, if I had said we're instead of "we are" it wouldn't have hurt as badly."

She nodded, and she could feel a prick at the back of her neck. She began to rub it, hoping it wouldn't grow. "You should think of your... next message." The pain was growing, and her eyes were starting to refuse to focus.

She felt him come closer. The pain was like a corkscrew, twisting at the base of her skull. "The pain has returned?" She nodded, which apparently was not a good idea as a electric fire struck, and she could do little else but scream.

He gathered her into his arms, as she had done for him before, and massaged her temple and skull. As her cries slowed to whimpers, he wondered to why she was the only one struck this time. He had, for a moment, thought to try to see into her mind, but he felt a prick at his neck, and decided not to.

It was cathartic, to run his fingers through her hair, gently massaging her scalp, running his fingers down her neck to the back where she had grabbed before and where he had felt it as well. As her short brown hair curled away from his fingers he tried to quietly think of what other messages to try, if another time arises. Each time he tried, the pain would rise.

"Gah! This is no good!" He growled at the air, and if he could, he would have shaken his fist, or thrown something. Never before did he seem so helpless. So at a loss over what to do. He shook his head then. "No... there was another time..."

He looked down at Shana, passed out from the pain. "I had this friend once," He began, sighing deeply. It is the story that he locked up, and hadn't looked at since. "She was smart too. And brave. We ran, and we had such fantastic times she and I. But then, I lost her. I... lost her, and... I tried to go on without her. Tried to forget... But she was stronger then I was. And she found what I didn't look for. She found a way to come back. And..." He felt that horrible lump in his throat that always rises from sadness. He looked up, but there was nothing to look at. All around was that horrible whiteness. For an instant, he saw her, smiling at him. The wind blowing in her hair. He closed his eyes to that memory.

"What happened," Shana whispered, and he opened his eyes and saw her watching him, a kindness in her eyes he hadn't seen in a long time. He smiled and wiped away the tears that had come to him.

"I had... to let her go. To live her life. With me, it was just too dangerous. And she belonged in the other world now. Parallel universe," He explained. "How is the pain?"

She closed her eyes for a minute and then look at him again. "Less then yours, I think." She tried for a half smile, and he matched it. "Thank you. It helped." He nodded and ran his fingers through her soft hair again. She closed her eyes as he did so, this time just relaxing at the touch, without pain. She could feel her muscles relax, and she sighed softly as she drifted off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: For this chapter, I did create a picture to go with it. It is on my pinterest account. If you would like to see it go to pinterest dot com /killasshandra/she-knew-too-much/ remember to remove the spaces and add the dot.**

* * *

River was pissed. She had stormed out of the Tardis and went for a "stomp". Most would say a walk, but that was clearly not what her feet were doing. Small nameless animals scattered from the field ahead, and it took everything in her soul to not open fire on the moving targets.

Jack had seen her leave, had felt the Tardis shudder as she had flown open the doors. Whatever he had missed out on was, apparently, the beginning of some intergalactic feud. He got up, and decided it was safer ground to find out from the Doctor what was going on, then to chase down a hot-headed woman packing heat.

He slowly opened the door, swearing it felt like the hinge was loose. He knew it wasn't, but it still seemed like it to him.

"Jack! Good man! Just in time!" This Doctor was excited and child-like over something, but Jack knew better. His little facade. "I need your help." Jack smiled and nodded, not letting on, and they went down to the sickbay.

* * *

The Doctor had needed some help moving some electrical doo-dads from all over the ship to Sickbay. Jack learned a long time ago to never ask the Doctor about any items he worked with. Once you hear "Timey-Wimey" or "Wibbly-Wobbly" there just really isn't a need to ask. He makes it up as he goes along.

It hadn't taken long to gather the items, and bring them all to where Shana and the Doctor lay. He looked at them now, and realized how small the two actually look. Though, the Doctor always was a bit skinny. They had joked it was from all the running, one night, as they had scarfed down pizza and beer. Jack smiled at that thought. It had been awhile since he thought about the non-exciting days in the Tardis; Better known as Sundays. "I never land on Sundays. Sundays are boring," He had once said. Rose had liked the quiet days. One time she even asked for three solid days of Sundays. Said the Tardis had needed a thorough cleaning, especially with him and the Doctor hanging around. He could hear her voice now, "It's as bad as a frat house and there are only two of you!"

He looked down at his unconscious friend, and he felt a tug at his heart. If he missed Rose this much, he could only imagine the pain the Doctor went through. And to have gone through it twice...

The Doctor walked in behind him wires glued to his head. "Thanks Jack. Now, I will need your help on something else. But, before I ask you, I should probably warn you that if you help me, River will probably kill you. Repeatedly."

"Not a problem," Jack grinned. "Immortal, remember."

"Oh yeah, I didn't forget, just giving you the heads up." The Doctor began plugging in the dangling wires into a console near Shana. "Jack, behind you is a skull cap... Could you please put it on her, and hand me the cables?"

"So, what's the plan?" Jack adjusted the cap on her head, and handed the wires, one at a time to the Doctor, who plugged them into the same console as his.

"Well, I am going to attempt to scan her mind. Normally it would be quicker and easier if I could touch her, but for the fact that he touched her and is now... well... like he is, thought we'd go the old fashion way." He watched him tinker and twist the cables, scan with the screwdriver every now-and-then, and hum a little tune.

"Can I ask you something," Jack said, a bit amazed he had decided to ask.

"Sure. Anything," and the goofy Doctor grinned. He was so different then the other two he had known... "

"What happened... to you and Rose? After the Earth was returned? And, how many Doctors between him and you?" He saw the Doctor's hands stop moving when he asked, and knew he had still hit a sore note for him.

"None. I am his next regen." Jack was a bit in shock about this. He knew of the regens, and knew it was a full change... But he was so much more different. His face doesn't seem to be able to hold the sadness on it that his Doctor wears so often. "I sent her back," the Doctor said quietly.

"You... sent her back? To the other universe? But... Why?" The Doctor looked at him then, and he saw it. There, on his face, in his whole substance. The weight of the universe and that decision sitting on his soul.

"So she would live," he whispered, and then went back to the wiring.

* * *

Jack sat there, quietly, watching his watch. A time machine, and not a single clock in it. Go figure. The Doctor had him sit there, and watch the monitors. Keep track of time. Watch for anything bad. Or good. "Good would be better," he had said. "Bad would be... well then you will have to deal with River alone." Then he flipped the switch and collapsed in the rumple of a passed out man in a chair.

All the monitors were green, and River was still MIA. It had only been 30 minutes. Nothing to worry about. Two hours he said, three maximum. Jack checked his watch again and sighed. Time moved so damn slow when you watched it. He heard a sound and looked up at the monitors again, but they were fine.

* * *

"He did NOT do it while I was gone," He heard River's shrill yell from behind him. Jack flinched at it, and now wished it was the slow progress of time by himself and not this... this... mess he was now in the middle of.

"Don't look at me! I am Switzerland." River looked at him, hand on her holster.

"Turn it off now." He knew her current favorite weapon. He'd been killed by it a few times in a few bar brawls. This was going to hurt.

"River, we have to let him stay there. For now," He added, as he was now looking down the barrel. She had a upgrade. Great, he thought to himself. It was ugly before, and now it will be just plain messy. Atomic de-stabilizers were horrendous to clean up. "I give you my word that in less then three hours, he will be back."

She slowly approached him and placed the muzzle of the weapon on his chin. "He better be, or you are going in there to get him." He couldn't nod, with that cold metal pressed against him, so he did the next best thing.

"Of course, my lovely dear River. Anything for you," He winked at her, and grinned his best grin.

* * *

He opened his eyes to a to brightly room, and a cloud flowed around him and through him. He felt dizzy and disoriented, but that wasn't bad. As he looked for the wall of the room he was in, he soon realized there wasn't a wall. Nor a ceiling. He could sense someone nearby, so he tried to trudge his way there. It wasn't a walk, as his feet seemed to want to stick to the "ground", but he was willing to work for it, so on he went.

It was like a dream. The way that when you have to run, your feet can't move. At least he was dressed, he thought with a laugh. The soup (that's what he choose to call it, cause it was too thick to be considered fog, even by British standards) seemed to be thickening as he moved further away from where he began. He hoped it was further away, and not that he was walking in circles.

Suddenly, he tripped over something, and fell down on it.

"Oi!"

"So sorry about that," he said as he untangled himself from whoever it was he tripped on. He looked and saw Shana holding her arm.

"Ya about broke it! Who the hell are you?"

"He's the Doctor," the other Doctor said. "You okay Shana?"

"Yeah," she said as she flexed her arm back and forth. "But I thought you were the Doctor."

"I am," both Doctors said.

The Doctor she knew smiled at her and said, "He is my future." He then looked at his newer self and mentally laughed. "So, how the hell did you get here, where are we, and any idea how to get out?"

"Linked into Shana's head, don't know, and not yet, but working on it." The Doctor looked around at the surroundings and adjusted his bow tie. "I am on a timer, if I disappear. Wasn't sure what I would find when I linked in, and am, rather at a loss cause I certainly wasn't expecting this. What about you? Any ideas, or better yet, what do you know?"

The first Doctor looked around, and scratched the back of his neck with his left hand and made a weird face. "Not much, I am afraid. if we try to think about it... we get..." He shut his eyes, trying to calm the pain he could feel was beginning. He inhaled deeply and tried to clear his mind, but it wasn't helping.

"Pain," Shana said, through gritted teeth. The second Doctor could feel a prick of something at the back of his neck. He reached back to rub it, and it began to grow stronger. He saw the Doctor and Shana now gripping their heads and rocking back and forth. He watched as his pain grew, that they were folding into the fetal position, and a sound began. They were screaming now. His pain was becoming unbearable, and his eyes couldn't focus. He realized, as he found himself on the floor that he was screaming like they were, and this horrible, torturous pain burned into his mind.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I am sorry it's taken me so long to post another chapter, but thank you so much for having the patience to understand. I am nearly fully recovered from my injuries, and should be back to top notch form soon. **

**New Followers! Hiya! Welcome to one of my worlds! I wanted to thank you for joining and for reading my story. I know how hard it is to read a story when it involves a "original character" (or OC) that was never a part of the original story lines. Trust me, I totally understand. **

**The Tardis and the Doctor, and all familiar characters are copy righted and trademarked to the BBC and I abuse them to carry my story. Shana is my own creation as is a majority of this story (except for bits that may have been used by the BBC.)**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

Jack leaned against the door frame to the Doctor's room. He'll never forget that sound of the Doctor as he had screamed before the link had been broken. River had helped him bring him into the room afterwards, and hadn't left his side since. That had been two days ago. Jack had brought her food to eat, but she hadn't touched it. He offered to stay with the Doctor while she got a nap, but she refused to leave.

His heart broke, seeing her this way, and he wanted to help her. Help them. Hell, he wanted to fix everything, but didn't know what to do. He moved to change positions at the doorway, and River heard him move. Within a instant, she had drawn her weapon and fired at him, killing him instantly, and she went back to begging her Doctor to wake up.

"You're so damned stubborn," She cried. "Please wake up. I told you to not do it. Why couldn't you listen to me?" River cried again, and she laid her head on his chest, hearing the familiar four thumps of his hearts-beat.

"Why couldn't you listen to me, just this once," she whimpered. "Oh how I hate you sometimes."

Then she heard it. That whisper she had been waiting to hear. "No... you... don't..."

* * *

Shana tried to wake up, but the throbbing in her head wouldn't let her do much. She couldn't open her eyes, she tried to move, but she failed at that as well. She inhaled deeply, and counted to five, and then slowly assessed the situation. She still had a head, check, cause that's where the pain was at. Voice? She tried, but heard nothing. Great, that means either my voice or my ears stopped working. Her throat hurt as if it had been scrapped raw with steel wool so that could be why she couldn't hear her voice. She listened, hoping she could hear the Doctors nearby, but there was nothing but silence.

She slowly tried to go over what had happened before the last wave of pain had struck. The other Doctor had arrived, tripped over her... Is that why she couldn't feel her arm? No... She could move it before the pain wave.

As she tried to remember that Doctor, she felt the pain returning. She pictured a tall... skinny... a bow tie... and she slipped from reality again.

* * *

The Doctor had awoken from the last wave, laying on the floor, and had no pain at all. _Okay_, he thought, _That's different_. He looked around, and noticed that the strange fog was also absent. He saw Shana laying on the floor. She wasn't close, and he tried to get closer to her, and realized then that he couldn't move. Her arm was moving, but not much. Had the other Doctor really injured her when he tripped? He tried to call out to her, let her know he was near, but he found his voice was missing.

He could see her, but not go to her, not call out... He saw her move then, and her movements were disconnected, like she couldn't control them. She screamed then, a scream that was now too familliar to him. She was getting hit again, and this time, he wasn't. But he had to lay there, and watch the torture. He felt as helpless now as he did on Midnight. Or, this was possibly worse. Having to watch the pain occur to someone else is much harder then when it happens to yourself. He closed his eyes, wishing her pain would ease quickly and cursed whoever had decided they should be here.

Her scream finally started to fade, and he gritted his teeth, the anger within him boiled because she had to go through that again. He watched as her body began to relax. _Please let her sleep be long and painless this time, _his thoughts whispered. Suddenly he saw her body stiffen and a voice came from her lips, but they were not her words she said.

"Did you enjoy the show, Timelord?" Anger washed through the core of his being as her body collapsed back into a unconscious state that was all her own.

He didn't know how long he had laid there, alone in the quietness of this trap. He played all the steps that it took to get to this hell they were in over and over again in his mind. He examined every move they had made, every word that had been said. No matter how he looked at it, he could not find the answers. Who is she? Who wants them here? Who is doing this? How are they doing it? He exhaled a long low breath and made a vow to himself and her, that their captors will pay for this.

* * *

"River, put the gun down." The Doctor had finally awoken, to find River killing Jack. Again. River turned and looked at him, and placed her favorite weapon into his outstretched hand. "There is enough pain and struggle going on right now, that I don't think we need to add to it, do you?"

"I will try to restrain myself, my love," River agreed. She looked over where Jack's body lay. Maybe she did go overboard a little bit, this time, she thought. "So... what happened?"

The Doctor was sitting up in the bed, but his head felt like it was still exploding. His thoughts would not stay in a straight line and the room liked to rock every once in a while. Despite that, he did manage to keep down some of the juice and toast Jack had brought him.

River let him eat, and finding her belly just as empty, snagged some of his toast and chewed it while she waited for him. Finally, the toast and juice gone, and his stomach allowed him to keep them, he began to tell what he saw.

"It was a place. It is hard to explain, but they were both there. And... it's odd there, because we know that their bodies are here, in the Tardis... but where they are... they are also physically there." River looked at him, and asked him to explain. "At first, I couldn't see anything. The whole place is white. And there is a fog... Something about the fog..." His eyes wondered off, as the thought of the fog itched at a memory of his. A memory he couldn't quite remember.

"Doctor..." River said, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, where was I? Oh yes, the fog. I was walking through it, but it was like a walk in a dream, but then, I think I stepped on her arm. That was how I found them. I couldn't see them before that. I know she had felt the pain, and I know I felt her arm when I stepped on it. It was physical. It seems like a dream, but I know it isn't."

He played with the few crumbs that were left on his plate, thinking about that place. He noticed his head no longer had a pain, and the room had finally decided to stop rolling.

"You screamed," River said, in the quiet.

"I did? Quite right too. That's what is keeping them trapped."

"What is?"

"Pain. The pain comes if you think of anything dealing with being there. I didn't get to talk to them much before it started."

River's eyes squinted at his words. "You could talk to them? To both of them?"

"Yes. Yes... The pain... they felt it at the same time... But it took longer for me to feel it..." River watched him, could see his mind working on a hundred ideas at once. She smiled at him then, though he was to focused to see it. She removed the dishes from the bed, and then crawled in next to him, and as she started to drift off to sleep, she wondered if he knew she was there.

He hated when this happens... Something he knows he knows... right in front of him, jumping up and down shouting "I am here you fool! Look at me!" and no matter what he tries, he can't keep his attention on it long enough to figure it out.

It's there. It's important, it's there and he knows it. If he could only figure it out!

He tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. He tried to get his thoughts under control so he could figure it out. If Donna were here, she would know. She could have figured it out. She always saw everything. He ground his teeth as he thought of her, and what he had taken from her.

River moved next to him, and he looked at her. Sound asleep. She was dreaming again. He reached down, and pushed a few curls off her eyes. He ran a tender finger down her cheek bone and back up to her temple. He closed his eyes, and his mind reached into hers, taking the nightmare away from her.

He closed his eyes again, and tried to work out the puzzle.


	12. Chapter 12

The pain was constant now. Nothing she did would make it go away. The light burned in her eyes, her throat was raw from the screaming, and every muscle cried with pain. She managed to roll over to her side, and with a great amount of effort, finally sat up. Her brain screamed at her for this new position, but she had to stay up.

As her eyes focused through the pain, she looked again at their prison. White... white... white... everywhere. But the fog is gone.

And so is he.

She closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. She nodded then, straightened her shoulders and inhaled again, deeper. She leaned her head back, and opened her eyes. The pain in her mind was growing again, but she tried to ignore it. She placed her hands on the ground. It was flat, and cold. And white. She splayed her fingers apart on the ground, and pushed to get up. She had to stand. She must stand. She WILL stand.

Her legs were weak, and they shook with the effort, but she did get to her feet. She took a long deep breath, and stood straight. Her body cried in defiance, but she didnt care. Suddenly a knee gave way, but she caught herself before she fell, and made herself ignore the pain. She squared her shoulders and stood tall. She looked around again, but nothing had changed. She was still alone.

Alone. Alone. Alone. The pounding in her head sounded out the word. Alone. Alone. Alone.

She felt her nose running, and she went to wipe at it with the back of her hand, and found blood. She grinned then.

"Is this the best you can do? Is this all you have? Light tricks, headaches, pain and blood? Well, I am STILL HERE!" She yelled into the emptiness. "I am still here! Leave me here alone. You don't know me! You don't know me! I do not fear being alone! I am still here!" She could feel more blood trickle from her nose, and the incredible pain was getting stronger. She knew she wouldn't be able to stay conscious, but this time they were going to have to fight her.

"Do you hear me? Do you hear me? I am not afraid! You can torture me like this forever, and I will still be here! And when I get out... When I get out..." Her vision was faltering and her body was shaking with the struggle to stay standing, and to fight off the pain. "When... I... Get... ahhhh... out. Out! You... better..." she collapsed on the floor, hands grabbing her head, and as she slipped back into the dark, she whispered one last word. "Run."

* * *

He stood there, hands balled into fists, face contorted into a angry snarl. His eyes were wide, and flaming with un-done destruction. And tears ran down his cheeks. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, or yell or run to her.

This... all of this... this hell she is living in and being rung through to anger him. To make him watch. To make him believe he is useless. And now she thinks she is alone. She is brave, and strong, and smart... And he can't help her. Can't call to her. His breath left his body in angry huffs, his jaw sore from clenching his teeth so hard. He saw now, the blood from her nose. She wiped at it, and it seemed to give her more strength. His hearts beat faster, hearing her challenge their keepers. When he saw her collapse into the pain again, he vowed then that he would help her keep that last promise. _We will get them, Shana. I promise you. We will get them_, he thought.

At last, she had passed out from the pain, and he was released as well. He ran over to her, took his tie off, and tried to get the bleeding to stop.

"I am here, Shana. You did good. You were very brave. You aren't alone. I promise you, you aren't alone. I am here." He kept repeating those words, hoping they could reach her thoughts. "I am here. You aren't alone."

She she laid there, her head in his lap, and he ran his fingers through her hair again, he felt a difference in her then before. His fingers lingered over her temple and taking a small breath, and bracing for pain, he reached into her mind.

Normally, when he did this, the mind looks like a long hallway, lined with doors. Each door can be opened, or kept closed. Everyone has secrets, and they all keep them hidden. Those are doors that he can't open unless the owner of the secret allows him access. That is what he was expecting this time. Correction... He was expecting to not be able to access her mind, not being in true physical contact with her, and he had thought he would be struck with pain for even making the attempt.

But her mind was open to him. Fully, and completely, and, that did worry him, but he put that thought aside and searched for her. Her mind was not a hallway... It was a library. A vast room with hundreds of shelves and thousands of books. He made his way to one of the shelves, and picked up a book off one of the dustless shelves. The book had no title on it, but when he opened it, instead of words, it was similar to a pop-up book, but everything within moved as if alive.

He watched the scene for a few minutes and then closed it, and reached for another random book. He repeated the process to that book, and a few more, each time, blown away with the scenes he would see. He put the last book back. He began to walk around the shelves, looking for her, but the further he looked, the more pain he felt at the base of his skull. _So, I am allowed to look in her mind, but not for her, _he thought.

It was time to leave her mind and let her rest, so he left as he had come, slowly and carefully. When he was finally withdrawn, he opened his eyes, and saw her looking at him. She wore a very small, weak smile which he returned.

"Hi," he said quietly. "Sorry about that."

"It's... ok," she said, her words hard to understand. He knew her throat had to be raw from the screaming. His was certainly sore, and she has screamed more then he had.

"Just rest. I am here. I am so sorry about what you have gone through." She looked at him, the pain more then obvious on his face. "You weren't alone. They wouldn't let you see me." She nodded and closed her eyes, swallowing hard.

She looked into his eyes, and in his mind he heard her clearly. "We _have_ to get out before they kill me." She passed out seconds after he heard/felt that, and for a few moments he was unsure he actually did hear her. As this new information processed in his brain, he continued to watch over her, and cursed the next attack they would have.


	13. Chapter 13

He stretched long and hard, and could feel his muscles release as if he had been asleep for years. His hand felt something soft, and he opened his eyes, which had a small caking of sleepdust, and he scratched at them until it was gone.

The soft that he had felt, was Shana, sound asleep next to him. He looked around, and the place they were in had changed. There was no pain, save his stiff muscles, and the whiteness was now a shade of pink, or peach? It was a soft color, and his eyes welcomed it. To be able to see without pain was a blessing.

And the fog was gone.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply and sighed a long, low sigh. It felt like freedom. He looked over at Shana, who was sound asleep still, her face was soft, and not pulled with the pain that had been haunting them. He debated on wether or not to wake her. She should be conscious during this respite from pain. _She has paid too much to miss it. _But he argued against that thought with the counter of, _she needs more rest then I do._

_I am awake._ He looked at her then, after that thought came to him.

_You can hear my thoughts_, he asked in his mind.

_I can. I couldn't before. Are they doing this?_

_I don't know. But everything they have done so far was not for our advantage. This may be for something new they are planning for us. How are you doing? Are you okay?_

_I am rested, and have no pain. I can conquer the world now. _He saw a smile appear on her lips for a mere second before it disappeared. _We should try again. While we are better then we were. _

_Try what_, he thought. He certainly didn't want to attempt to do anything to cause her even more pain again. He saw a quick flash in his mind of River and Jack and the Tardis. _Are you sure? Can you handle the pain again?_

_We have to. _And behind that mental whisper he felt what she didn't say, "I'd rather die leaving, then staying here." He nodded, then, and set his mind to trying to find a sliver of his Tardis. If he could find just some, little bit, his mind might find another way out like before. The longer it took to find anything from there, the more he began to worry. The harder he looked, the more he was realizing he was missing more then the Tardis from his mind.

He felt her hand reach for his, and she squeezed his hand letting him know she was there and now he could find that sliver. His mind reached for it with all his might and together they called out.

* * *

Jack's dreams had not been pleasant the last few nights. Each night he dreamed he was looking for the Doctor. He couldn't find him, and he was running through the Tardis looking for him, but the corridors kept changing, and he was being chased by a head in a pickle jar.

It kept calling him, that head. "Jack! Jack! Jack!" and he kept running, his speed slow, and it was catching up to him, He had run down another long corridor, but now it was a dead end, and that jar was coming closer. He could hear it behind him. He closed his eyes and turned around to face the jar.

The jar no longer had a head in it, but two tiny people. "Jack!" It was the Doctor! And Shana! "Jack! Hurry!"

He awoke with a start, and sat up quickly, forgetting where he was for a moment. His head hit the bunk above him and he cursed as he got up.

He rubbed his head and then realized he could still hear the Doctor in his head. _Hurry!_

"Doctor!" Jack hollered out as he ran from his room. "River!" As he turned a corner, he ran into River and the two tumbled onto the floor.

"Jack, what in the name of sanity- Where the hell are your clothes?"

"Nevermind that! The Doctor. He's in my mind. He says 'Hurry!'" River looked at him for a eternity of two seconds, and then grabbed his hand and pulled him as they ran to the console room hollering for the doctor all the way.

The Doctor, as usual, was tinkering with the console, when a very naked Jack and River ran into the room. "Doctor! I can hear him! In my head!" At this, though he was curious about River, and Jack, he immediately put that thought on hold and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, waving it over Jack and then looking at it. "All I hear is 'Hurry'."

"Can you try to answer back?" The Doctor looked at Jack very closely now, as if trying to find the Doctor and Shana in his eyes. "Just think, think a word or a phrase and think it to the voice you hear."

Jack closed his eyes, and sent the thought, _How can we help? _

The Doctor had heard the question, and Shana had squeezed his hand, having heard it too. He didn't know what would work to pull them out of the hell they were in. In all this time, they hadn't come up with a single clue as to how to get out. But they had lost contact with Jack before they could give a answer.

"It's ok. There will be another chance. We can prepare for it now." She nodded. They had done what they could, now they will have to wait again for another chance. He felt a pain beginning again. In the base of his skull. It was a tiny prick of pain. It was like someone had a sewing needle and was pushing it in and removing it and repeating it. Over and over. The prick of pain did not grow after a few minutes. It just stayed, in one spot, a tiny pin prick of pain, just poking away.

"Are you ok," He asked, looking at her, seeing her nose starting to bleed again. He handed her his tie again, she took it, and nodded.

"It's just a minor pain now. Manageable." He nodded, and looked around the room again. Nothing had changed. Color was the same, the fog was absent, and they still had no idea who wanted them, where they were, or why they were being treated as such.

When the bleeding had stopped, she looked up at him. She had amazing grey eyes. How did he not notice them before? "Doctor, can I ask you to do something?"

"If I can, I will, what is it?" She looked at him then, her eyes seeming to measure every inch of his face. Her hands were folding his tie neatly, and she handed it back to him. He reached out to take it, and he felt a electric current run through his body. As he screamed for this horrifying shock, in his mind her heard her voice, _Find out who I am... and find me... _


	14. Chapter 14

Jack, the Bow Tie Doctor and River had just reached the doors to sickbay when they heard a horrific scream. They ran in to see the Doctor in Brown was no longer laying in the bed but was now on the floor, unconscious. Jack carefully picked him up and put him back in the bed, and looked at River who ran her med scanner over him. Jack looked over at Shana. She was still out of it, but her nose was bleeding. He walked over to her and grabbed a tissue from nearby and gently wiped the little bit of blood that had come from her nose. He couldn't stop from being worried about this girl. She doesn't know anything of any of this, and here she is, tossed right into the middle of it.

"Well," He heard the Bow Tie Doctor ask River.

She looked up at him and shrugged. "I don't know. The readings are the same as before. No change."

"But he moved. He got off the bed," the Bow Tie Doctor said, almost as a plead for a answer.

"I just don't know, my Love." And then, right then, when it was the last sound anybody thought they would hear, the prone Doctor groaned, and reached up to his head.

The Bow Tie Doctor, River and Jack all stood in silent shock. Each holding their breath, and then he slowly opened his eyes and closed them again. The Bow Tie Doctor, remembering the light in the other place, quickly lowered the lighting in the bay, and the Doctor in Brown was able to open his eyes again without pain.

"Don't try to sit, just yet," River said as she saw he was trying to move. "Just rest. And we will get you something to eat, if you think you can. Jack, if he needs help, can you help him with the loo?"

Jack said he would and River went to get food, and the Bow Tie Doctor came close to his previous, and ran the sonic over him. "How are you feeling?"

"I... I don't understand," He began. "How did you get us out of there?"

The Bow Tie Doctor cleared his throat, straightened his tie and then said quietly, in almost a whisper, "We didn't do anything. You just woke up."

The Doctor in Brown then looked at his future, raised his eyebrow then his head slowly looked towards his right hand. He raised the hand to see it, but was afraid for what he held. "Help me sit up."

Jack went to step in to help, and the Bow Tie Doctor held his hand up, halting Jack. "Are you sure? You should wait-"

"Help. Me. Sit. Up." Jack came forward then, and reached a hand out to his friend, and slowly, and carefully he helped him sit. The Doctor in Brown had kept his eyes closed as his body moved. When he was sitting up, he felt Jack's hand on his shoulder, keeping him from falling from the dizziness. His right hand clenched, and he slowly aimed his gaze up, off the floor, to where she was laying. He looked at Jack and then the other Doctor. "She isn't here, is she?"

His future closed his eyes, and sucked in his lip, and then looked at him. "No," he said quietly. "Only you right now." He didn't have to hear the words. He knew. He looked down into his clenched hand and slowly let his fingers open, revealing the blood stained tie she had handed back to him.

* * *

It had been hours since he had awaken. He was still in the sickbay, still laying on the bed near hers. He could hear her breathing, steady, no indication of pain. His mind was free of pain as well. His hearts, though... They ached because he felt so helpless. And because she was alone. He still couldn't hear the Tardis, and that also was breaking his hearts in little places. His head quickly turned to the doorway, pulling him from his thoughts, when he had heard three knocks. His head motioned for the visitor to come in, and he did, pulling a chair with him and sitting in between the Doctor in Brown and Shana.

"Anything?" the Bow Tie Doctor asked. He shook his head no and just looked over at her.

"Who is she?" He knew that he probably wouldn't tell him, no matter how important the answer could be.

"Her name is Shana Morris." He looked at his future, and possibly for the very first time, he wanted to deck the sod.

"And..." The Doctor in Brown prompted after he gave no other information beyond her name.

He looked at him then, his face turning to see him squarely. "And she is very important to us, but I don't know why."

The Doctor watched his face as he had said these words. He looked so much older then he did. Probably feels it as well. He inhaled deeply, and then he felt something... a glimpse of a thought from the future him?

"You don't remember any of this, do you?" The Bow Tie Doctor looked away from him again and back to Shana.

"No," He said quietly. After a few minutes of stillness, the Bow Tie Doctor broke the silence. "There is... something else." His eyebrow raised at that, but the Doctor in Brown didn't turn to face him. "She has two hearts."

The Bow Tie Doctor turned around then, looking his former self in the eyes. They both had a question, and they both asked it at the same time. "You don't think she's Jenny, do you?"

After they asked, the Bow Tie Doctor felt in his mind a clear answer from the Tardis. "No."

Remembering his former couldn't hear the Tardis, he relayed the answer.

"She would know, if any of us did," He said, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his right hand. He saw the Bow Tie Doctor doing it as well. "Besides... She didn't regenerate."

The Bow Tie Doctor looked at him, and for a instant he saw a look on his face. A slightly surprised look, but then it was gone, and he nodded and said, "Yeah... um, right. I remember..."

"What?" He looked at his future who looked like he just found he had painted himself into a corner. "Tell me..."

"Spoilers..." Like lightning from the sky, the Doctor in Brown had jumped off the bed, pounced on his future self, punching him smack into the jaw. He fell to the ground, and the Doctor in Brown stood over him, fists clenched into balls.

"I am NOT in a mood to hear that bullshit today! Do not test me."

The Bow Tie Doctor nodded, rubbing his jaw and he laughed. "Now this part I do remember." He got up from the floor, and they both sat back down. Behind them, the Tardis closed the door to the sickbay, and they heard it lock. "Yeah... remember that part too," he said as he had looked at the door.

* * *

**A/N: Okay... so, I realized that with this chapter things got a bit hairy with the two Doctors and telling each other apart. Some of you may have been confused in earlier chapters, and I will try to make it more understandable in future chapters, and go back and fix the earlier chapters.**

**Also, I want to thank each and every one of you guys who are enjoying this story. This was my very first attempt to write fan fiction, and at the time, I had been brand new to Who. **

**Before I go, a shout out to all the new followers. **waves enthusiastically** Thanks for stopping by and reading for a bit. **


	15. Chapter 15

River had come to terms with Jack, and had stopped killing him. And Jack, the ever bubbly, would look across the room from her and grin, or come up and tell her a dirty joke, and, for him, he was creating a wonderful friendship, but for her, it was just like old times. She smiled, then, and laughed out loud, and he turned from the sketch pad he had been going through again, and smiled.

"What's so funny?" And she tried to mimic one of his grins back at him.

"Oh, was just thinking of the day I first met you." She laughed again, and he saw a sparkle in her eyes.

"Two weeks ago? Yeah... ancient history ain't it?"

"Hah! No, that was when you first met me." He looked confused and remembered again. Timelines.

"Ohhhh yeah... Oh that will have to be good, I bet."

She grinned again, tossed him a wink, and laughed, "Spoilers."

At that instance, she heard a commotion down the hall, and a powerful voice.

"I am NOT in a mood to hear that bullshit today! Do not test me."

Within a instant, both Jack and River were on their feet, running down the hall to find out what was going on, only to be locked out of the sickbay. River tried to override the controls, but the Tardis assured her things were fine, and so, though her body told her not to, she told Jack that the boys had to talk, and the Tardis is giving them privacy.

"Oh," Jack smiled, rubbing his hands together like some dastardly villain. "Two Doctors locked away, and a River to play with." River laughed at that and they ran down the hallway, giggling like children.

* * *

They had been tucked away in the sickbay for hours, reviewing what they knew, didn't know, couldn't know and shouldn't know. Finally, the Bow Tie Doctor went to stretch, and he heard every vertabrae pop.

"I think we should go for a walk, get some of these old muscles working again."

"Outside," asked the Bow Tie Doctor. He certainly was sick of being indoors.

"Yeah... It was made for us, we should at least walk it." They agreed, and headed out. River and Jack were not found on the way out, so they were able to go without fielding a million questions.

As the doors opened, they both inhaled at the same time and gazed longingly at the mirror that reflected their home.

The Doctor in Brown broke the silence of the field. "She said Gallifrey when she first stepped out here."

The Bow Tie Doctor turned to his previous version, a small surprise written on his face. "Has she been there? No, she couldn't have." He watched, off in the distance, seeing the leaves sparkle as they catch the setting sun's light. They were quiet for awhile as they walked, and the Doctor knew that his future self had something on his chest he wanted to say, but he couldn't ask.

"It's almost time for the Library," he finally said quietly. The Doctor in Brown stopped in his tracks and looked at his future. He was shrouded in darkness. He knew what that pain was like. Knew it all too well. Living forever and alone is heart breaking. Living while everyone else fades away... It's a curse.  
"Are you ready for it?" He knew he was ready, or close to it.

"Yes..." He looked off towards the mountains and sighed again. "I have it completed."

The Doctor in Brown nodded and tried to change the subject back, distractions always work, sometimes. "River said that Shana had been tortured. In the future. Do you know why?"

"Yes," the Bow Tie Doctor said as he motioned at the ground. They both sat down, waiting for the other to speak. "She knows too much. Somehow, she... knows everything."

He nodded. "I remember. Her mind is... stocked full of information. But she doesn't know what information she has. During a time of respite, I looked within. Never encountered anything like it before."

They sat there, quietly, a million things on each other's minds, but so little they could talk about. I little whirlla-me flew down and landed a few feet away. It looked like a fuzzy purple squirrel, except it's tail whipped above it's head, like a helicopter blade. The Doctors both smiled at the tiny beast, remembering how they tried to catch them when they were young.

"Travelling alone now?" The Doctor in Brown asked, looking back at the Tardises.

The Bow Tie Doctor looked up and sighed. "Yeah. I screwed up a bit... So, alone for now. It's better this way." He picked up a rock and threw it across the field. "Can I give you a word of advice?"

"Why not? Who will crack our knuckles over timeline violations?" He smiled, knowing that the only one that punishes them the most sever for the violations... were both sitting on this field.

"Pay closer attention to myths, legends, and children's nursery rhymes." He threw another rock across the field, and 3 whirlla-mes took off, chattering away in a scolding sound.

"Sounds bad..."

The Bow Tie Doctor nodded. "Yeah... I think..." The Doctor in Brown waited for him to continue to say what he was thinking, but when he didn't, he went with what was on his mind.

"I don't know what you think, but I think the rules have changed." The Bow Tie Doctor looked at him and asked him to explain. "To start, Dalek Caan. A insane Dalek alters history so he can set me- er... us... So he could set us up to save the 27 planets? And all the signs pointed that way, and should have paid attention to the coincidences."

"True," the Bow Tie Doctor agreed. "And a few more things have been horrendously turned around for attacks on me, I mean us."

The Doctor in Brown threw another rock into the field, and sighed. "Can't hide here forever..." The Bow Tie Doctor nodded and looked back over to where they had parked.

"Have a plan?" He asked. The Doctor in Brown shook his head and threw another rock. "Yeah, me neither."

"Now is when Donna would say something brilliant..."

"Yeah. She was good, that one wasn't she?" They both smiled them, grinning at different memories. They then both looked at each other, and each could see an idea in their eyes. "It's not possible, is it?"

"It... might work though." Both got up and ran back to the Tardis, each half yelling partial ideas at each other as the plan formed.

* * *

River had seen them come in, talking away in excited voices, each only saying half of anything. She got dizzy trying to watch and keep track of what was going on. The Tardis, however, in her mind seemed excited and very very happy.

"River can get her," Her Doctor said. She looked over at the two, wondering what she missed.

"Have to knock her out though."

"Yeah," Her Doctor agreed. "But that will make things easier. Doing the transfer though... And we have to figure out how to get her out of there."

"And who has her. That is important. They were doing things, towards the end, so I would watch..." The Doctor in Brown lost his look of concentration for a minute, and then it was back.

"This will work," Her Doctor said. It was clear, precise words without any of his fun in it. The Doctor in Brown looked at him, and nodded.

"It has to." It was then, in that moment of clarity, that River approached the two men.

"What do you need," She asked.

Her husband looked up at her and smiled. She loved that smile. He approached her, grinning. "Oh my bad bad girl. We need you to get Donna for us." River looked from Doctor to Doctor and back.

"But... You said," she started.

"Yes, I know. But we need you to get her now. You will have to do it without her seeing you... and you will have to sedate her. She can't remember anything until it's time." She looked at the Doctor in Brown.

"And you agree with this?" He approached her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.

"It will work, River. You just have to be careful. And if you need help, her grandfather will help you. Just don't let her see you." His grip on her shoulders increased then. "Don't let her see you. You understand?" She nodded, then.

"But what can Donna do? I don't understand how bringing her here will help. If anything it will hurt her." Then the Bow Tie Doctor bounded over to her, and took her hand. He squeezed it.

"Do you trust me?"

"Always."

He smiled then and said, "Then do as you are told. Off you go!" And he turned around and went back to his twiddlings at the console and the Doctor in Brown watched her pop back to the past.

As soon as she was gone, he started hollering for Jack. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw him. The man was not built for waiting around and doing nothing, that is for certain. And, finding something to do, after all this time of actionless activity, well, it was a given. Seeing him run in, with a apron on... unexpected?

Poor Jack stood there, hands on hips, while both Doctors tried to settle down their laughing. "It's been two weeks, and we had dishes. What else was I going to do?"

"Yeah, but-" started Doctor in Brown, while the Bow Tie Doctor finished "an apron? And where did you find an apron?"

Jack looked at both men, crossed his arms and grinned that cocky grin. "River's room." One Doctor laughed, while the other got a bit quieter. "What did you need?"

"I need you to help set me up to go back and link with Shana's mind," his Doctor said.

"Go back? But... Are you sure?"

"Yeah, we have a plan, and she can't be alone." Jack agreed with that and the two headed back to the sickbay. "Jack, don't put it on a timer. I will have to stay there as long as this takes. Do you understand?"

"Yeah... Did you find out, who she is, then? Or what did you find out?" The Doctor stopped in the hallway, and looked at him.

"Jack, I will tell you this: Time has changed. We don't know who is doing it, or why. We know, for certain, that things around me and him," His head bobbed to point down the hallway to where the other Doctor was. "They are not on the line they were on. He doesn't remember most of this. Whoever has her, has to be connected. We have to find out who is changing time. But one problem at a time, ok? We have to go help River now."

"Where is she?"

The Doctor grinned and lead him back to sickbay. As they entered, Jack was shocked to see Donna laying on one of the beds next to Shana. "What-?"

"How did it go," the Doctor asked River. And River grinned.

"You were right. Wilf was more then willing to help." The Doctor grinned again and went to check on his mate. River watched him care for his friend. The stories in her head her Doctor had told of Donna, playing over in her mind. She watched as the Doctor carefully made sure Donna was comfortable, and without pain.

"You all right," Jack whispered to her.

"Hmmm?" She looked at Jack who had a concerned look on his face.

"You look like you just saw the world end." She thought about what Wilf had told her. Her Doctor never tells of his regenerations. Always waves off that part of his history as, "an old story. I'd rather read a new book, wouldn't you" and then off he would go. But what this wonderful man here will have to endure... "River?"

"Sorry, was thinking, now, what do we need to do now?" The Doctor walked over and told them the plan. River, of course, was dead set against it. "You can't possibly be serious! You want to go back to that hell? Voluntarily?"

"She is alone River," he said, and the look on his face broke her heart.


	16. Chapter 16

River had seen them come in, talking away in excited voices, each only saying half of anything. She got dizzy trying to watch and keep track of what was going on. The Tardis, however, in her mind seemed excited and very very happy.

"River can get her," The Bow Tie Doctor said. She looked over at the two, wondering what she missed.

"Have to knock her out though."

"Yeah," The Bow Tie Doctor agreed. "But that will make things easier. Doing the transfer though... And we have to figure out how to get her out of there."

"And who has her. That is important. They were doing things, towards the end, so I would watch..." The Doctor in Brown lost his look of concentration for a minute, and then it was back.

"This will work," The Bow Tie Doctor said. It was clear, precise words without any of his fun in it. The Doctor in Brown looked at him, and nodded.  
"It has to." It was then, in that moment of clarity, that River approached the two men.

"What do you need," She asked.

Her husband looked up at her and smiled. She loved that smile. He approached her, grinning. "Oh my bad bad girl. We need you to get Donna for us." River looked from Doctor to Doctor and back.

"But... You said," she started.

"Yes, I know. But we need you to get her now. You will have to do it without her seeing you... and you will have to sedate her. She can't remember anything until it's time." She looked at the Doctor in Brown.

"And you agree with this?" He approached her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.

"It will work, River. You just have to be careful. And if you need help, her grandfather will help you. Just dont let her see you." His grip on her shoulders increased then. "Don't let her see you. You understand?" She nodded, then.

"But what can Donna do? I don't understand how bringing her here will help. If anything but hurt Donna." Then her husband bounded over to her, and took her hand. He squeezed it lovingly.

"Do you trust me?"

"Always."

He smiled then and said, "Then do as you are told. Off you go!" And he turned around and went back to his twiddlings at the console and the Doctor in Brown watched her pop back to the past.

As soon as she was gone, he started hollering for Jack. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw him. The man was not built for waiting around and doing nothing, that is for certain. And, finding something to do, after all this time of actionless activity, well, it was a given. Seeing him run in, with a apron on... unexpected?

Poor Jack stood there, hands on hips, while both Doctors tried to settle down their laughing. "It's been two weeks, and we had dishes. What else was I going to do?"

"Yeah, but-" started the Doctor in Brown, while the other one finished "a apron? And where did you find a apron?"

Jack looked at both men, crossed his arms and grinned that cocky grin. "River's room." One Doctor laughed, while the other got a bit quieter. "What did you need?"

"I need you to help set me up to go back and link with Shana's mind," the Doctor in Brown said.

"Go back? But... Are you sure?"

"Yeah, we have a plan, and she can't be alone." Jack agreed with that and the two walked back to the sickbay. "Jack, don't put it on a timer. I will have to stay there as long as this takes. Do you understand?"

"Yeah... Did you find out, who she is, then? Or what did you find out?" The Doctor in Brown stopped in the hallway, and looked at him.

"Jack, I will tell you this: Time has changed. We don't know who is doing it, or why. We know, for certain, that things around me and him," His head bobbed to point down the hallway to where the other Doctor was. "They are not on the line they were on. He doesn't remember most of this. Whoever has her, has to be connected. We have to find out who is changing time. But one problem at a time, ok? We have to go help River now."  
"Where is she?"

The Doctor grinned and lead him back to sickbay. As they entered, Jack was shocked to see Donna laying on one of the beds next to Shana. "What-?"

"How did it go," the Doctor in Brown asked River. River grinned.

"You were right. Wilf was more then willing to help." The Doctor in Brown grinned again and went to check on his mate. River watched him care for his friend. The stories in her head the Bow Tie Doctor had told of Donna played over in her mind. She watched as the Doctor carefully made sure Donna was comfortable, and without pain.

"You all right," Jack whispered to her.

"Hmmm?" She looked at Jack who had a concerned look on his face.

"You look like you just saw the world end." She thought about what Wilf had told her. The Bow Tie Doctor never tells of his regenerations. Always waves off that part of his history as, "an old story. I'd rather a new place, wouldn't you" and then off he would go. But what this wonderful man here will have to endure... "River?"

"Sorry, was thinking, now, what do we need to do now?" The Doctor in Brown walked over and told them the plan. River, of course, was dead set against it. "You can't possibly be serious! You want to go back to that hell? Voluntarily?"

"She is alone River," he said, and the look on his face broke her heart.

* * *

A/N: Not that I should have to clarify this, but best to be safe then sorry. When Donna is mentioned as the Doctor in Brown's mate, the word mate is being used in the British sense as "friend" and not "wife".

Thank you for reading this. And, thank you for following me and this story.

**huggers!**

~ Killy


	17. Chapter 17

He had stared into her eyes. She could see in his, a long struggle with life. And within those eyes, something had changed. She had had a answer. She knew something. She knew how to set him free. "Doctor, can I ask you to do something," she had asked him.

"If I can, I will, what is it?" He had responded. This man was a good man. She knew it, to the core of her being, and knew that he would always try to save everyone. And would probably die doing it. Well, this time, she had one chance, one shot, and she knew how to do it. She could save him from this hell. She folded his tie neatly, focusing on what she needed to do. A small part of her brain was surprised that she felt no pain as she did this. She handed his tie back to him. He reached out to take it, and as he did so, she found, in this contact a escape for him, and she sent him through it. As he screamed for this horrifying shock she had created, she sent him a last message and then accepted all the pain her captors were going to throw at her for this violation. She held onto his mind, until she was certain he was all there, and not here, and with a last bit of effort she sent him a message; Find out who I am... and find me...

* * *

She laid on the floor, eyes closed. Her mind focused on a tiny dot of light. If she focused on it hard enough, she could feel the least amount of pain. It was constant now. As soon as he was gone, the pain had come, and not left. Sometimes it pulses in deep, dark stabs into her brain, but mostly, it just stayed there.

She doesn't try to move anymore. Or keep her eyes open. Or think of ways to get out. They are winning, and that breaks her heart more then anything else. She'd never been weak or pathetic. Not in any moment in her life. She had always been... but now, she is just... alone. Alone, and in pain. And they are winning.

* * *

She awoke again, and nothing had changed.

She struggled to open her eyes for a peek, and when she finally did, she sighed and closed her eyes again.

White room, and still being drowned by that mist.

It had returned, as had the pain, when she had found a way for him to leave. She still isn't sure how she found it, or got him to go, but he is safe.

When he left, the pain struck her harder then ever before, and she might have thought it lasted longer then any other time, but, how could one tell in here?

She could feel the pain growing again, and tried to focus on that light in her mind. They are winning, and she is losing. They will kill her soon. Why they are taking so long to do it, she doesn't know. But, she does have that one victory. He is out and safe. She grinned at that, and slipped back into the darkness again.

* * *

She woke again, from a very good dream. Dreams had been few and far between since she had been taken to hell. She laid there, not moving, but remembering the dream. He had returned. Sat down next to her, and said things she didn't understand. The pain had started to grow, and he kept telling her something... and then the pain had disappeared.

There was no pain now... And she wasn't on that hard cold floor. She slowly opened her eyes and found she was in a room. On a bed, and next to her, was another woman. She looked around, actually a little afraid of where she was at.

"How are you feeling?" It was him! He was here! But, where was here? "It's okay, you are safe."

"Where are we," she asked. He walked over and waved his little flashlight at her and then looked at it and smiled.

"We are back on the Tardis," he said.

"How?" He sat down on the edge of her bed, and took her hand into his.

"What you did, was dangerous, and in most cases, I would yell at you for it, but I know you probably still have a massive headache, and I know you went through a lot after you sent me out." She looked at him, glad she had done it anyways. He looked deep into her eyes, and she focused on him. Then, in a very stern, and firm voice he said, "You never make a decision for me. Ever, okay? It worked out this time, but, next time, just don't."

"Sorry, but, I had to try." He looked into her eyes again and smiled.

"I know. And it worked out." He smiled at her, and she returned it, though it was a weak smile at that. "And thank you. Now, just rest. I will get you something to eat, ok? Don't try to move around too much."

She nodded, and he went to go leave, but she stopped him. "Doctor?" He turned around to face her. "Did you... find out who I am?"

He smiled a small smile at her. "No, but we have a idea. Everything will be ok. I will be right back." She smiled as he left. She must have dozed off while he was gone. Within minutes it seemed he was back, gently waking her. He smiled at her, and helped her sit up and repositioned her pillows so she could lean back while she ate. Pillows... She had missed them. "Are you in pain," he asked, concern written deeply on his face.

He reached up and wiped at a tear she didn't know she had shed. She smiled at him and said, "I am ok. It's... the pillows. I missed em." He grinned and nodded, understanding.

He sat there then, not leaving her, while she ate the soup he had brought. She had never tasted anything so divine in all her life. She felt so much better, and stronger after her small meal. She felt she could conquer the world.

"How are you feeling," River asked, as she came into the room.

"Much better. So much better." River smiled and looked at the Doctor.

"He needs you if you can spare the minute," River said and the Doctor nodded and got up. He walked over to River, and whispered something to her, and she nodded, and he left. She came to his chair and sat down. "I am sorry you went through that."

"It wasn't your fault," she said. River shrugged, and looked over at Donna. "Who is she?"

"Donna? A friend of the Doctor's."

Shana watched River's face when she said that. "And not yours?"

"Hmmm?" River turned back to look at her. "No, not yet."

Shana smiled then. "Time travel is tricky, eh?"

"Quite. Plus, it doesn't help that I meet the Doctor backwards."

"Backwards?"

River smiled. "Oh yeah. The more I know him, the less he knows of me... It's confusing sometimes."

Shana agreed. That would most certainly be hard to deal with. She could hear footsteps outside in the corridor, and turned to watch the two Doctors enter, and Jack followed. It was weird, to think that these two very different men were the same man. Or so she was told.

"Everyone is here," Shana grinned. "Is this when you tell me that I have some cancerous disease and am dying?"

"No, but we do have something to do, and we can't delay," said the other Doctor. She looked at him and then the other. "River, Jack, let's give them a few minutes." He then ushered them out of the room and closed the door behind him.

She looked at the Doctor, and he came and sat down next to her again. He looked over at Donna, and then back to her. "You asked me to find out who you were." Shana nodded. She bit her lower lip, hoping he had a answer, and that it was a good one. "We think we know now."

"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" He didn't answer right away, but ground his teeth, his face taking on a very stoic look.

"Shana, we think, think we know. But, I want to give you a choice in all of this. Because, if this works the way we think it will... It will be very painful. But, then once it's done... You may hate us. May hate me. And... Once it's done, there is no going back. You can't change your mind."

She sat there for a moment, eyes closed and breathing very quietly. "Who am I?" The question was a whisper, but to her, it was a shout across the universe.

"A Timelord." Her eyes popped open and stared at him.


	18. Chapter 18

"How the hell did you come up with that ridiculous notion?" He stared at her. This was not the reaction he was expecting. "Of course I am not a Timelord. Timelords are from Gallifrey, they have two hearts, they regenerate."

"And how do you know that," he asked quietly. She looked at him, but she knew why he asked.

"I... Don't know."

He looked at her, her grey eyes looking at him, wanting to trust him.

"You have two hearts." She blinked when he said that. "You knew what Gallifrey looked like. You can see things from the future and the past."

"No I can't," She said.

"Yes you can," he said, squeezing her hand "Your sketch book is filled with the past and the future."

"But... How?" Her mind wanted to run around and find the answers of how, and what, and why. "How is it even a thought that this is the answer?"

"You also have the DNA." She looked at him, sitting calmly. He knew she knew that there wasn't more proof. That she didn't need more proof. It couldn't be real, or true, but how is the proof deniable?

"How... I don't understand..." She tried hard to think of all the reasons why he was wrong. Why it couldn't be. "Did they know?" She asked in a whisper he almost didn't hear it.

"Our captors?" She nodded. He shrugged and said, "I don't know. I hope not."

"There is something else you should know. When we were in the other place I looked in your mind." She nodded, remembering. "You have a mind like no other that I have met. And it's stacked full of information. More then anyone should be able to have. I don't know how, or why you have all that information. But, that information... it can be dangerous to have." He reached over and took her hand in his. "We will find the answers, all of them, in time. The important thing here is, we found you. You aren't alone."

She looked at him when he said those words, and saw, in his eyes a release... of feeling? She didn't know, but it looked like, for a minute there, he was free of a burden. "You were the last, weren't you?" He nodded, and his eyes fogged for a second upon a thought. It was only a second, but she saw what he was thinking, and squeezed his hand. He returned the gesture and then smiled back at her.

He looked over at Donna, and she felt a sadness reenter his hearts for a minute and then he shrugged it off. He stood up and reached his hand out for her to take. "Ok, we should go talk to the others."

"Wait... I may hate you once we do something. Why? Why would you think I would hate you?"

"Shana, right now, you seem to have only half of what makes a Timelord. It's complicated... But, if you decide..." He sighed deeply and sat back down. He rolled the chair close to her taking both of her hands into his and looked at them a long time. She could feel from him a deep sadness and longing. "It could be a very long and lonely life."

He looked up from their hands and into her eyes. What happened next was not intended. She knew that. She knew that this man would never intentionally try to hurt her. But for that small instance, she saw everything. Everything he had done, both the good and the horrible. What he had looked like in every regeneration, and all those he loved and lost. And she knew now, exactly what being alone actually meant. She knew all of this, and he didn't know he gave her that.

She withdrew her hands from him slowly, and closed her eyes for a minute. "Are you okay," he asked.

She nodded. "I just... Can I have a few minutes, by myself?"

"Oh... Yeah! Of course. Of course you can. I'm sorry. We'll be in the kitchen. It's their meal time." She nodded, and watched him get up. He looked at her with deep concern. "Shana, I know it's a lot to take in. I am here for you. And... And..." He inhaled deeply and came back to her, and brought his face close to hers. He looked over at Donna for a moment, and then back to her. "Shana... You don't have to do it. You have a chance to not be... If I were given the choice..." His eyes drifted through the thoughts of his lives, and his friends. "I will let you have as much time as you need."

She smiled a weak smile at him, and he slowly walked out of the room, taking a last glimpse at her before heading to the kitchen.

She sat there, on the bed, next to Donna, hearing all of his words repeatedly. Finally she nodded at nothing in particular, and got up, and walked out of the sickbay. She felt a question in her head. No, she felt that there was a question, but couldn't hear or understand it. If she thought about it, in her mind all she could agree to is that it was just the question mark being sent to her.

"I just need to not be inside for a few," she said out loud. She felt a pull, and followed where she was being directed to. Soon she was in front of the console. No one was here, but on the console, she saw her sketch pad. She grabbed it, and the Tardis doors opened, and she walked outside. As soon as she was completely outside, the doors shut behind her. She smiled and sent a mental "thank you" to the Tardis.

She stood there for a moment, looking at the landscape. The sun was rising and the light reflected off the mountains in the distance, making them look as though on fire. She closed her eyes and inhaled, that wonderful sweet scent. She smiled. She kicked off her shoes, and took her socks off, and scrunched her toes into the dark dirt, and crimson grass. Clutching her sketch book to her side, she walked out onto the prairie.

* * *

She walked a long distance. Never looking back, just allowing her feet carry her to where ever they wanted. The wind encouraged her on, and every once in a while, a whirlla-me would flutter close by, and then fly back off again.

She had left the open field, and had entered a wooded area. Not a true forest, the trees were sparse, and far from each other. She could hear the rippling of a brook, and chose to find it, and sit near it while she thought.

When she had finally come across it, it was, indeed, a small brook. Not two feet across, but the water rippled and laughed as it travelled over the rocks and pebbles within it. She sat down next to a tree that was cuddling the brook, and just leaned her head back again the rough bark. She closed her eyes, and thought about all that had happened so far.

She didn't know how long it had been since that day in Cardiff. It seemed like a eternity. And this is absolutely, not anything she would have expected. How could she have?

A little whirlla-me landed a few feet from her, on a boulder in the brook, and as she watched, he completely ignored her, and began to dip his tail into the rushing water, and then rubbed his tail over himself. She grinned watching the little guy bathe.

She flipped open her book, and began sketching him down. By the time she was done, he had finished bathing, and then curled up on the sunny spot of the boulder and napped.

She flipped her sketch book back to the first page, and slowly went through each page. They weren't just dreams, she thought. She could name each race. Knew the planets they were from. Understood their rules, and laws for each civilization. She closed her eyes, and exhaled a long, slow breath.

"Timelord," she said aloud. The little whirlla-me looked up from his nap, looked at her, and then went back to sleep. Her mind slowly went over everything, every image and action that she knew the Doctor had done. He had lived a long time. And he is a very lonely soul. He makes friends easily, and enemies easier... But his friends... he leaves them.

She opened her eyes, and watched the brook. She knew why he leaves them. He can't protect them all the time. The longer he is with them, the stronger and braver they get... and they lose the caution that they had when they first met. When that is gone... That natural instinct... So he lets them go back. So they can live. Leaving them breaks his hearts each and every time.

She looked down at her pad, and found that she had been drawing... but she didn't remember doing it. She smiled, though, seeing she had drawn out Donna. Not the Donna she had seen, asleep in the sickbay, but the way he had her in his mind. Smiling and laughing.

She thought about poor Donna then, having become the DoctorDonna, half Timelord, half human... Saving the universe, and then losing everything cause her mind couldn't handle it. The pain he had gone through, doing that to Donna. He knows it was the right thing to do, but he will never forgive himself for having done it.

And now he needs her, Shana, to take what Donna has, to save her. That's their plan. That's what he wants.

But, what if I don't want to become this Timelord, she asked herself. What if... if I don't want to change? I don't want to be alone, and stuck, while everyone around me goes on and lives and dies...

Whether it was the stress of what she had gone through, or the reality of the choices she has to make, she doesn't know, but then, for the very first time in a very very long time, she began to cry.


	19. Chapter 19

His stomach growled as he entered the kitchen. Jack handed him a plate and grinned.

"This you might want to eat... and not what they are eating." Jack tilted his head and moved it to point at the Bow Tie Doctor and River. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his glasses, and putting them on, looking over to where the two were. River was sitting on the counter, and the doctor was next to her. They were flirting away while eating fish fingers.

"What's wrong with them eating fish fingers," He asked Jack.

"Oh," Jack whispered. "Fish fingers are fine enough. I have eaten a few of those myself. Among other parts... But, no... It's what they are eating it with..." They both watched as River and the doctor each dipped a finger into... a bowl... of custard?

"Custard?" The Doctor in Brown realized, a bit late, he had said that very loudly. River and the Bow Tie Doctor turned and looked at him and grinned.

"Want some?" River waved a heavily covered fish finger at him, grinning.

"Umm... no..." River grinned and his future self smiled.

"Shana coming down," Jack asked. The Doctor poured some vinegar over his chips that Jack had handed him, and tossed one into his mouth.

"She wanted a few minutes to be alone. Don't blame her. If it were me, I would get the hell out of here if given the choice." Jack nodded, understanding.

"Are we giving her a choice," River asked. "What about Donna?"

"River, of course we are going to give her a choice." She looked at the Bow Tie Doctor and he smiled. "We aren't cruel. She'll choose to do it anyway. She will, of course, choose the path that is best for all around, even if it is the hardest to do. And, she wont be alone. We can help, when she needs it." River nodded and licked the fish finger clean of it's custard before eating it.

The Doctor in Brown finished the last of his chips, and tossed the plate into the sink, winking at Jack. "So you will have something to clean later," He said as they laughed. He walked out and headed to the console room. When he tries to feel a touch from the Tardis he still feels empty. The silence in his mind ached in his heart. Without the Tardis, he felt alone. It hurt as much as when he had left Rose behind. River followed him out, and when they were out of earshot, she asked him how he was doing.

"Oh, I am all right," He replied automatically. She nodded and they continued on. When they reached the console room, she watched as he did what he has always done. Reached for various knobs, toggles and switching, saying hello to the Tardis with a loving caress.

"Still can't hear her?" He shook his head, and looked up the the column, feeling in his body the soft movement it does, when it goes up and down.

He looked at River then, seeing her watch him carefully. "Who are you, River?"

"Spoilers..." she said, with that same quirky smile.

"How is it you can hear her?"

"Who said I could?" He smiled at her, as she had to him, and nodded dropping the subject. "What are the chances she won't help?"

He sat down on his chair, kicked his feet up onto the console, and rubbed his hands over his face. Finally, he said, "She'll help. Right now, she is still mostly human, and its ingrain into your species to help. Well, most of you. No, it would be wrong to not have given her the thought it was a decision she had to make."

They sat there, for awhile, small talk, back and forth... and then the Doctor in Brown sat up, and looked her straight into the eyes. "River, you travel backwards, don't you?"

She nodded, and said, "Yeah, mostly. Every time I meet you, it's earlier into the timeline. Why?"

"Secrets and spoilers..." She nodded. "When Donna meets you for the first time..."

"Don't worry, Sweetie. I am used to lying and keeping secrets. She won't know." He nodded, hoping it was true. "Oh yeah... without telling you much... I can tell you, oh how hard it was, when I first met my mother... Oh that was so tricky... But she didn't find out until the proper time. If she didn't know, trust me, Donna won't either."

He grinned. "I wouldn't quite say that. She is very bright."

"So I have been told. Repeatedly." She winked at him, and then got up and went in search of the Bow Tie Doctor.

* * *

After the second hour had passed, the Doctor went to go look in on Shana, see if she's eaten, or if she was ok, or if she needed to talk... His heart went out to her. She's older then Rose was, when they had first met, but she seems younger. And though she didn't when they first met, she seems more lost now. That, he admitted, was partly his fault. Was that why he was more worried for her?

He knocked lightly on the door to the sickbay, and then peeked in, but she wasn't in there. So, he headed for the kitchen, where sounds were still coming from. If he could only hear the Tardis again, he could easily know where she was. He entered the kitchen where River and Jack were... playing strip poker. He rolled his eyes and asked if they had seen Shana, they hadn't, but Jack got up to help him find her, revealing the fact that River had won the game.

He put a hand up, and said to Jack, "Jack... The Tardis is not now, nor will it ever be 'clothing optional'. Put some pants on man!"

As he left, he heard River say, "I often wondered when that rule was created," And then she broke out into hysterical laughter.

He ran into his future self while leaving the kitchen. He helped himself pick up the gadgets that had been dropped, and the other looked at him. "She's not in the Tardis," He said. "She left hours ago, she says."

"And the Tardis didn't bother telling you?" He yelled at his future self.

They both turned, running to the exit, River and Jack following some-what close behind. They ran out the door, and both circled the Tardis, not seeing any sign of her.

River had caught up to them and said, "How long has she been gone?"

The Doctors looked out into the fields. "Not more then two hours," the Doctor in Brown said.

She pulled out her scanner, and checked for life signs, but nothing near, she extended it a mile out, and nothing responded back besides animal life. Just short of two miles, she found a blip. "Got her. I think."

The Doctors peered over her shoulders, and both said in unison, "Two miles? What the hell?"

"Guess she really did want some time alone," Jack muttered.


	20. Chapter 20

As he approached where River's scanner said she was at, he wondered why she had chosen to go so far. He heard the sound of water, and watched for signs of her. It was getting dark. The moon only had a fourteen hour day, and half of it she had spent out here. He couldn't blame her though. After their ordeal, he didn't want to spend as much time as he had indoors.

He passed the last small group of trees, and saw her, sound asleep against a tree, next to the creek. He smiled then, and wished he had a camera. Oh her knee, in her lap and next to her were three whirlla-mes, curled up and asleep as well. He stood there for quite a few minutes, and then sat down to watch.

It had been a very long time since he saw something so endearing and so peaceful. He thought about all she had gone through recently, and how her life had changed, and will be changing even more, and he decided right then, that as soon as everything is done here, he will come back here and take a picture of this.

He looked up then, and to his left, there, on the ridge, he saw himself. The other waved at him and then left. He smiled again. This is one time he is glad he broke the rule. He sighed deeply and then stood back up. Time to wake her.

He walked as quietly as he could. He didn't want to scare her, and wasn't sure how the whirlla-mes would react. The whirlla-me on her knee looked up at him, and tilted it's head. The one on her lap woke as well, saw him and went "meep". He watched, then, as it left her lap, and crawled up and laid back down on her shoulder. It nudged her ear with it's nose and said "meep" again.

She stretched then, arching her back like a cat, and absent-mindedly scratching the one on her shoulder, and then the one on her knee after it meeped at her, and then the napper next to her wanted some attention too, so she scratched that one as well.

"Well look at you," he said quietly. She looked up and grinned. "How did you get them to do that?"

"Huh?" She looked at her little friends and smiled. "By not trying to get them to do nothing at all?"

He laughed then. "When I was a kid, we always tried to catch one. No one ever could." He watched as the one laying next to her stretched similar to the way she had, and then got his tale whirlling, and flew to him, sitting on his shoulder. "Meep," it said and then poked it's nose into his ear.

"This is brilliant!" He reached up to pet his new buddy, who eagerly accepted his petting. He carefully came to sit next to her, and saw her opened sketch book. "You've been busy."

She shrugged. "It helps me think."

"These are great! They are so cute!" The little one on her knee crawled down to the book, showing him all the sketches were of him. He laughed and petted that one, and his meeped, jealously.

He looked at her then, her head tilted back against the tree, eyes closed. She was petting the little whirlla-me on her shoulder, and he smiled, thinking she had never seemed more at peace. "You had us worried, you know," he said quietly. She nodded slowly.

"I had to think. And the Tardis is great..."

"But you needed someplace without walls." She looked at him and smiled. He nodded at her. He looked out over the field, and saw the first sun setting. "If you want, we could camp outside tonight."

Her eyes lit up and she looked at him with a childlike hope. "Can we? I really don't want to go inside right now." He nodded and smiled.

"Of course. Unless you want to stay alone. I know that you may still want time-"

"No," She interrupted him. "No, if it's okay... I don't want to be alone." He nodded and went to stand, picking up his little whirlla-me and putting him on the ground. As soon as he stood, though, the little guy flew back up to his shoulder, and sat, a paw hanging onto his ear. "His name is Meeps. And, I think you are stuck with him."

"You know, this could make a few people back that way a bit jealous," he laughed. "Ok, I will go back and get some supplies. I may have the Tardis come closer, so I don't have to walk back again. She nodded, and he headed back.

Within no time, she heard the sound of the Tardis arriving nearby. She kept her eyes closed and listened for his approach. Suddenly, a small whirlla-me flew to her and hovered at her, meeping away. She smiled thinking about what he was telling the others. The Doctor in Brown soon arrived in the clearing, arms full of stuff.

He grinned at her, a goofy, happy grin, and dropped the stuff on the ground. She got up and walked over to his pile of stuff. "Did you rob a camping store?" she laughed. He grinned at her.

"Oi! give me some credit. I have a ship that is bigger on the inside then on the outside. You think I don't keep supplies on hand?" He grinned at her, and it was a great grin. She liked that smile. For the first time since she met him, it seemed as if he had no burden to carry.

They set up the tent, made a fire, and sat there, talking about all sorts of various things. Nothing remarkable, just those kinda of stories you share, that can be great, but easily forgotten.

This was a great idea, he thought. He watched her poke the campfire with a slender stick. He loved how the fire was casting moving shadows on her face. Her face seemed full, and content. It showed not one bit of the pain and tautness he had seen during their time they were held. He watched as her fingers went to push some stray hairs away from her face and tuck them behind her ear.

He smiled as she yawned a long quiet yawn, and as yawns are contagious, he yawned as well. She grinned at that and then said, "Means we should hit the sack, eh?"

"That is true. Umm... Shana..."

"I know what you are going to say," She said. He raised a eyebrow at her and she laughed. "I can count, ya know. One tent, one sleeping bag, and a few pillows. We spent weeks "camping" on a cold floor. I think we can do it in a tent as well."

"Figured. Thought I should say it anyways, so I didn't seem like a cad."

They both got up, and she turned to him, and gave him a hug. A wonderful, sweet hug. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled. He swallowed hard, having missed this kind of connection. She said, while in his embrace, "Thank you. This has been a great day today."

He squeezed her just once more before letting her go. "You are quite welcome. Thank you for the hug. I didn't realize I had needed one." She winked at him then, and then went into the tent.

They had changed into their sleepwear, and then both crawled into the extremely comfortable sleeping bag. He made sure that she had a good amount of space in it, and when he crawled in, made sure that in no way could he touch her. He was laying on his back, had opened the roof of the tent and was watching the stars.

She had chosen to lay the same way, and they both watched as some of the stars twinkled, and a random asteroid burnt up in the atmosphere. He lay there, his mind going over a million things as usual, and he listened as her breathing slowed into the natural rhythm of someone in a restful, deep sleep.

For just a moment, he was able to think about their time in captivity, and was surprised that it did not make him as angry as it had in the other instances he had thought about it. At least, until he thought about what she had had to go through.

He felt her move next to him, and he looked over as she rolled onto her side, her back to him. He smiled, glad she was sleeping peacefully, and then went over things he and his other self had talked about.

He found himself trying to explain Shana, and her ability to find him, and Jack. Granted, she wasn't a average human, but, she didn't know that at the time. And to just pick up, and travel halfway across the world, based on a picture of him... Others had done the same, he admitted to himself, but only after years and years of tracking.

But then... there was Donna... Donna had come to the Tardis, granted, after being poisoned with the Huon particles... But, she was able to find him a second time. And, he had met her grandfather... He had thought it was Dalek Caan had done it all... But he had said, that he had only helped... Maybe it wasn't all him...

Beside him, Shana moved again, and she rolled over onto her other side, placing her body next to his, and her arm wrapped around his chest. He smiled and let his arm comfort her. He could feel her body was a bit tense, probably from a dream, maybe a bad one, and so he gently began to run his fingers through her soft hair, feeling her body relax, as it had done before.

He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until he opened his eyes, and felt a warm soft light that had surrounded then, and for the tiniest amount of time, he thought they were back in that place. But he quickly remembered the tent, and knew they were safe. He looked up to the roof, and saw peeking down at them, a bevy of whirlla-mes. He grinned, and hoped that none of the little beasts try to stow away on the Tardis.

He looked down at the sleeping Shana, still curled around him, his hand still stroking her hair. He sighed deeply, and realized, that for the first time in a very long time, he had slept through the night. And it was a completely peaceful sleep. He felt five hundred years younger and fully rested. He smiled and closed his eyes again, surrounding himself with the peace that was all around him.


End file.
